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PROJECT INSIGHT
The church of
modern data
By Arun Shenoy VP at
Schneider Electric
Gaudi’s iconic church in Barcelona
has been under construction
for so long that it now needs a
modern data centre to help with its
completion and use.
We increasingly function in a world that relies on
technology and science expecting that it can always
provide an answer. However, the limitations of
historical and ancient buildings pose some tough
challenges and the Basílica i Temple Expiatori de
la Sagrada Famíli is no exception. Construction
commenced in March 1882 and is not yet complete.
Despite this, it is already a UNESCO World Heritage
Site.
No stranger to technology Spanish architect Antoni
Gaudí could not have foreseen that this formidable
project would ultimately need to accommodate
21st century Information Technology; a challenge
now embraced by CIO Fernando Villa. It is one of
the world’s most visited monuments, it’s a place of
worship and importantly it is a building site, so there
was a lot to consider.
In 2013, Villa and his team started a three-year
project to centralise the IT infrastructure and convert
the disparate computer systems from a utilitarian
resource to a structured data centre to support and
add value to the daily demands of the Basilica. One
of the main challenges revolved around facilitating
a ticketing system for the 3.5 million visitors that
the church welcomes each year. Cloud services were
considered but ultimately dismissed because of
perceived latency problems.
www.networkseuropemagazine.com