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Patriots Continue to Invest in Wi-Fi and the Transformation of the Connected Stadium with Extreme Networks and Carousel Industries

SAN JOSE, Calif., Nov. 7, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Extreme Networks, Inc. (Nasdaq: EXTR), the Official Wi-Fi Solutions Provider of the National Football League (NFL), today announced that it has extended its partnership with the New England Patriots to deploy its advanced flow-based 802.11ac Wave 2 wireless technology at Gillette Stadium. With the steadfast goal of optimizing the fan experience at Gillette Stadium, the Patriots worked closely with Extreme and Carousel Industries, a leader in communication and network technologies, professional and managed services, and cloud solutions, to design an end-to-end, software-driven solution that would offer fans an optimal game day experience and provide their organization with unmatched visibility and control into its application and network operations.

To ensure that the stadium continues to meet the needs of its ever-growing fan base, the Patriots are upgrading to further leverage ExtremeWireless, ExtremeSwitching, ExtremeManagement, ExtremeControl and ExtremeAnalytics to elevate Gillette's Wi-Fi to a newfound level of efficiency and meet the growing expectations of fans. The hardware and analytics software also equips the Patriots with increased visibility into network usage, providing business intelligence that improves the fan experience and directly impacts the effectiveness of the Patriots organization.

In addition to an upgraded network, the Patriots will continue to invest in the Extreme Networks Wi-Fi Coach™ Program at Gillette, which provides fans the opportunity to speak with in-stadium reps for Wi-Fi assistance. This program is a great touch point for fans looking for support and elicits real time feedback from active users, ensuring that the Patriots fans have the best game day experience possible.

Key Facts

• Since ExtremeWireless was originally deployed in 2012, Wi-Fi consumption at Gillette Stadium has grown by over 100 percent with the increase in devices and applications requiring reliable and secure Wi-Fi access in the stadium.
• With this upgrade, the Patriots increased their internet capacity 10G, tripled the number of access points (APs) from 350 to 1,100, installed over 750 new under-the -seat and overhead APs along with over 30 miles of copper cabling.
• The new AP hardware includes a faster processor and RAM, in addition to multi-user MIMO that improves application delivery from the AP to the fan. In a venue setting, this feature ensures more reliable access to on-demand and streaming videos, such as instant replays, unique camera angles and other video-based content.
• ExtremeAnalytics provides flow-by-flow, location-by-location and device-by-device insight into distributed network analytics, which will allow the Patriots to measure network and application response at the AP level.

Executive Perspectives

John Brams, Director of Sports, Entertainment and Hospitality, Extreme Networks "As one of the first NFL stadium venue Wi-Fi deployment in 2012, and now the first in-stadium Wave 2 implementation in 2016, we're thrilled to bring our relationship with the Patriots to the next level with the expansion of our most advanced wireless technology available in the industry today. With more devices on the network and a higher demand for engagement at Gillette Stadium, we understand that advanced Wi-Fi technology is necessary to connect fans with their favorite apps and deliver an exceptional game day experience."

Fred Kirsch VP of Content, New England Patriots and Kraft Sports Productions "We recognize that in-stadium, high-density Wi-Fi connectivity is the next frontier for the NFL and we're proud to partner with Extreme to deploy such an advanced solution. Looking ahead, we're confident that we're prepared to meet our fans' increasing connectivity demands. Whether it's wearables, augmented reality or accessing next-gen player stats, we'll be ready with the best available technology to support our fans."

James Marsh, Chief Revenue Officer, Carousel Industries "Carousel is excited to be part of the growing trend of bringing the most sophisticated technologies from the locations where they are traditionally found - our offices and places of work - to a stadium, where the experience of enjoying a sporting or live event with friends or family is completely enhanced. Fans at Gillette can now connect with each other, the team, purchase gear or check fantasy football scores with the same connectivity or better than they would have at home. We look forward to partnering with Extreme on future projects to provide fans with seamless wireless access."