Green Bay Packers Select HP 3Par To Tackle Security Camera Storage Overload

Green Bay Packers Director of Information Technology Wayne Wichlacz had heard good things about Hewlett-Packard’s 3Par storage product, but he wasn’t prepared for just how simple and powerful it was until he checked with his technical team on the installation of the enterprise storage disk arrays and software.

’We brought that system in, racked it, stacked it and literally in 48 hours we were recording over 200 security cameras to that storage,’ he said, marveling at just how quickly the product paid off for the Packers. ’I couldn’t believe it.’

[Related: HP Unleashes 12 New Enterprise Products At HP Discover]

Wichlacz was incredulous at just how painless the installation process was. ’I asked my team if it was a test run when I saw how quickly it was up and running,’ he laughed. ’The installation was extremely simple. The storage is performing as expected. It’s been a great experience for us.’

Wichlacz credits longtime Packers technology partner Camera Corner Connecting Point of Green Bay, No. 291 on the CRN Solution Provider 500 list, with providing top-notch technical talent along with HP to help the Packers navigate the fast-moving technology solutions landscape.

’It’s all about the quality of the technology and support that we get,’ says Wichlacz. ’We have had HP products for many, many years. They continue to produce great technology products and then back it up with local partners like Camera Corner Connecting Point to support our team. That’s why we were able to get this 3Par system up and running in just two days.’

Rick Chernick, CEO Of Camera Corner Connecting Point and a member of the Packers board of directors, said he has to earn the Packers business each and every day with top technology and services.

’The door is open, but it doesn’t get us the business,’ he said of the relationship. ’We have to continually give them value and deliver on it. That is what they love about us. We bring solutions to the table that help the organization be more productive and profitable.’

One of the keys to the successful 3Par sale, said Chernick, was a high-level HP briefing with the Packers that featured HP technical teams looking specifically at the Packers’ technology needs. ’That briefing knocked the socks off Wayne,’ said Chernick. ’It convinced him 3Par is the way to go.’

As for the successful Packer 3Par implementation, Chernick said it was a team effort with HP, including HP enterprise storage account manager Derek Utley. ’I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention Derek,’ said Chernick. ’This was a Camera Corner-HP team effort all the way. It’s all about partnering and HP gets that.’

Wichlacz and his Packers technology team are so impressed with 3Par that they are considering rolling it out on a wider scale for VMware virtualized infrastructure. ’HP is doing some really nice things with that technology for VMware installations,’ he said. ’We are definitely looking in the future to expand our use of 3Par.’

A big plus for an expanded rollout of the 3Par line is a common management platform across multiple classes of storage.’ That’s a big advantage to our team,’ said Wichlacz.

The 3Par deal comes with the use of the Packers security camera system, which has been installed to ensure fan safety throughout the legendary Lambeau Field stadium and parking lot, exploding over the last five years from just 80 1-megapixel cameras to the current 200 5-megapixel cameras.

The cameras have become part and parcel of every expansion including 8,000 new seats in the South End Zone. ’The construction is pushing us to add more cameras to monitor the stadium,’ said Wichlacz. ’Every time we make changes to the physical facility we have to add new cameras.’

But even though the installation was complete, Wichlacz and Chernick weren’t done being impressed by HP.

Chernick had sent an email to HP CEO Meg Whitman informing her of the big win for the Packers and HP. ’You may not ever get this and I apologize to bother you, but we are excited to add the Green Bay Packers to your list of new 3Par happy customers!’ wrote Chernick in a Saturday morning email. In less than two hours, Whitman had replied back: ’Fantastic!!!!’

The Whitman response did not go unnoticed by Wichlacz.’Knowing that Camera Corner Connecting Point is supported all the way at the top of HP by Meg Whitman means a lot,’ said Wichlacz. ’That is neat.’

Chernick was also thrilled by Whitman’s response. ’I can’t get most of our manufacturer’s reps to respond in two days and I get the CEO of HP to respond in two hours on a Saturday morning,’ said Chernick. ’That says a lot about HP and its commitment to customers and partners.’

PUBLISHED JUNE 23, 2014