Windows 11 Pro lets Calgary Sports focus on their fans

“Our office is a 450,000 square foot arena” 

Ziad oversees all technology at Calgary Sports, from mobile apps to jumbo screens, stadium Wi-Fi to stadium point-of-sale systems. Security is always top of mind for him: “Our fans share a lot of their data with us to make their lives easier. It’s our most important asset, and it’s imperative we keep it secure and keep that trust with our fans.” Ziad appreciates the layers of security built into Windows 11 Pro, like TPM 2.0 and enhanced phishing and credential protection. As he says, “On event days, we go into a hockey game or a concert and host 20,000 people. We have multiple devices throughout the arena, and it’s really important that they are all secured, all the time.” That’s why he likes lock on leave, a new feature that combines presence detection sensors with Windows Hello for Business(1) to keep devices secure anywhere. It locks your device when you step away and wakes when you approach—security that’s effective yet effortless.

“Windows 11 Pro allows us to focus on our fans, not our devices”

The fan experience is priority number one for Calgary Sports. “When someone leaves the building and they want to be back here the next day because their experience was so good, that to us is success—irrespective of what happens on the ice,” explains Ziad. Naturally, he would rather spend his time optimizing the fan experience instead of optimizing devices. Windows 11 Pro takes care of that, as he points out: “Our people found it very easy to use and to transition from what we had before; they love the look and feel.” Ziad doesn’t have to worry about compatibility either. The company uses several specialized software applications, and they all play together nicely with Windows 11 Pro. Says Ziad, “We have analytics software, broadcast software, rendering software. Every department has specific software that they run, and it all works seamlessly with Windows 11 Pro.” 

“Our mission is to be the heartbeat of the community”

As Ziad explains: “Our job is to bring people together, to create excitement. On game day, as the fans start to walk in and the music starts, you feel the energy, how the fans erupt when we score; it gives you goosebumps. When we have 20,000 people in this building cheering for the same team or the same concert, there’s just nothing like it. We’re a true team on and off the ice, and Windows 11 Pro helps us win.” Running events is a tough business with long days and nights, but it’s rewarding for Ziad to see how much his company impacts the community. “I truly love coming into the office. To me, it’s not really a job; it’s part of an experience. Because you see so many people come and enjoy, get away from what they’re dealing with in that moment and just be with us. We don’t always agree on something, but sports seem to bring us together in a real positive fashion.”

How to juggle five teams and two stadiums  

Rachelle Roulston is a project manager at Calgary Sports and Entertainment Corporation. As she explains, there’s never a dull moment: “We’re constantly putting out fires and working nonstop to support five teams; my job is to make sure we’re hitting deadlines and staying on course with all our different projects.” That can be challenging when you’re running an older facility built in the early 1980s. “We’re currently putting in new Wi-Fi throughout our stadium and upgrading all of our security cameras. And we recently rolled out Microsoft 365 in both our buildings.” In this business, meetings can happen anywhere: on the concourse, in the cafeteria, or in one of the lounges. “I put on a lot of miles bouncing between the stadiums and I always bring my Windows 11 Pro device with me. The battery life is so much better than my previous device, which is great for how I work.”

Technology that helps you tackle new challenges 

Coming from a nontechnical background and initially working in the food and beverage industry, Rachelle never expected to end up in the technology department at Calgary Sports. But as she says, with project work you have to be adaptable. She calls out a few Windows 11 Pro features that make her workday easier, like passwordless sign-on and seamless redocking. “I can sit down at my desk, look at my computer, and it’s logged in and ready to go. And when I have to move between the two stadiums, I just unplug and redock in the new place, and everything opens up exactly how I had it before.” Rachelle uses snap layouts a lot because “it’s so easy to keep all of my applications and windows organized so that I can seamlessly move between them.” Widgets help her keep up with industry news and team scores throughout the day, and she loves voice typing. “I wish it had existed when I was back in university; I would have saved so much time!”

“What I really love about my job is it’s always changing”

Rachelle has been working at Calgary Sports since 2008. She’s learned that “there’s no such thing as a typical day here; we might have a concert one day, a football game the next; I might have three projects on the go. We’ve had world-class events like the Grey Cup, and we’ve had the Dalai Lama.” Rachelle loves figuring out new solutions to problems and building the skills to thrive in a changing environment, and Windows 11 Pro helps with that. She’s happy to point out the one thing that never changes: the company’s commitment to the community. As she notes: “We are always trying to do good within the city of Calgary; and it’s great to be a part of an organization that really cares about the community it’s in.”

Windows 11 Pro devices are at the heart of Calgary’s entertainment experiences, with features that help Calgary Sports focus on five teams, two stadiums, and thousands of fans—while staying secure and productive in everything they do, from broadcast systems to in-game feeds to business operations.

1. Hardware dependent.