Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) is the region’s leading purpose-built convention and exhibition centre. In 2022, DWTC hosted over 37,000 exhibitors and welcomed 1.98 million annual visitors. As attendees expect seamless and instant connectivity, it is essential to have visibility into the network traffic. This is where Extreme Networks come into play. Extreme Networks, a provider of cloud networking solutions, has established a strong partnership with the DWTC, enabling them to overcome its networking challenges and deliver exceptional experiences to its diverse audience.
The partnership between DWTC and Extreme Networks began in 2014 when DWTC sought to revamp its networking infrastructure. As the region’s leading MICE destination for over 40 years, DWTC hosts many exhibitions and activities requiring reliable, high-performance network connectivity.
One of the key solutions deployed by DWTC was Extreme Fabric Connect, an innovative networking technology. This technology allowed DWTC to triple the size of its network, expanding from 130 nodes to over 400 nodes. The seamless scalability of Extreme Fabric Connect played a crucial role in supporting DWTC’s dynamic networking environment, accommodating multiple weekly events without any network downtime.
“The nature of our business requires world-class infrastructure and network support. To meet these requirements, it is essential for us to have visibility into the network traffic. This allows us to prioritise business-critical applications, especially real-time collaboration apps, while ensuring the network can support other functions like guest Wi-Fi and event applications,” said Abdulrahman Alameeri, AVP – IT Operations at DWTC.
In addition to enhanced visibility, Extreme Fabric Connect offered advanced security functionality to DWTC. The network segmentation and traffic tunnelling capabilities provided a robust defence against potential security threats and prevented lateral attacks. Furthermore, the network analytics and threat detection capabilities enabled DWTC to identify and respond to potential issues in real time, ensuring uninterrupted operations and user experiences.
DWTC also experienced improved customer response and satisfaction through the automation capabilities of the fabric architecture. The ability to make real-time changes during events with confidence allowed DWTC to cater to customer needs promptly, enhancing overall experiences and ensuring seamless operations.
“DWTC strategy prioritises standards-based technologies. The Fabric architecture we have deployed is based on the IEEE ratified standard, which allows us to interoperate with other networks,” added Alameeri.
The fabric architecture, based on the IEEE ratified standard, enabled seamless interoperability with other networks. This ensured that DWTC could leverage future innovations and integrate with other systems seamlessly.
The launch of Extreme Networks’ data centre in the region further accelerated the partnership with DWTC. DWTC had been exploring cloud-managed networking to leverage the benefits of AI and ML in network operations. Extreme Networks’ data centre offered low-latency and reliable access, addressing data sovereignty concerns associated with cloud solutions. This enhanced connectivity and availability aligned perfectly with DWTC’s goals and requirements.
The partnership between Extreme Networks and DWTC has proven to be a remarkable success, empowering DWTC to address networking challenges and deliver exceptional experiences to its attendees. Through the deployment of innovative solutions such as Extreme Fabric Connect and Premier Services, Extreme Networks has enabled DWTC to build a resilient, secure, and agile network infrastructure that meets the dynamic needs of its events.
