The home of Wimbledon goes VoIP

The home of the international Grand Slam tennis tournament Wimbledon has implemented a new VoIP-enabled network to improve communications.

Officials at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club (AELTC) decided to upgrade the venue's communications and internal IT systems for media, spectators and staff.

Prior to the upgrade, members of the media booked communications services via various outsourced providers which was "time-consuming and costly" while the club also had "limited control" over pricing.

Around 450,000 visitors and 600 journalists attend Wimbledon every year and the new communications infrastructure will offer significant benefits and new features.

This includes simpler access to phone and broadband while at the event, as well as customisable user profiles, audio conferencing, document sharing and more accurate billing systems.

Jeff Lucas, head of IT at the AELTC, said: "Millions of people worldwide rely on the media to follow the Championships, so it is imperative that we can provide them with fast, flexible 21st century services."

He added that the new service will enable the club to provide a "more comprehensive support for our users, which should improve their experiences during the event".

Quintain managing director James Saunders recently claimed to the Wembley and Kingsbury Times that the 100Mbps broadband service around Wembley City is "five years ahead of the market".