Success Story: Swiss Football Association

Phase 1: With Azure Cloud to a modern, scalable and flexible ICT infrastructure

Storing data on local servers limited the flexibility of SFV employees and made it difficult to react quickly to the changing needs of stakeholders. The ICT infrastructure urgently needed to be made more scalable and flexible to enable future modernization projects.

Together with the SFA, itnetX developed a customized solution to optimally map the association's business in the cloud. To ensure a smooth transition to the new ICT environment, the itnetX team of experts conducted training sessions for the SFA's ICT staff.

Optimization of the main web application for gaming operations

The transformation to the cloud took into account that considerably more ICT resources are required during the season and especially during match operations, particularly for storing all match records for later review of decisions. The challenge was to modernize the main web application to make it scalable and flexible. Initially, the application was packaged in container instances, but the performance did not meet the necessary requirements. Therefore, in a second step, a virtual machine scale set was selected and a load balancer was implemented. This improved performance so that the main application runs smoothly. Over time, itnetX has allocated additional resources as the operational requirements have steadily increased. With Microsoft Azure, these resources could be adapted flexibly and in line with requirements.
 

Customized resource planning

By migrating to the cloud, the local data center could be eliminated. This eliminates the need for time-consuming operating and maintenance work for the local servers, which saves additional resources. Thanks to itnetX's precise resource planning, SFV obtains exactly the ICT resources it needs, exactly when it needs them. The plan is worked out in such detail that it takes into account the fact that significantly more server capacity needs to be in operation on match weekends than during the week without matches.

Phase 2: Ongoing transformation and modernization projects

The aim is to continuously modernize the SFA's ICT environment in order to enable more flexible use of resources and accelerate the introduction of new features and web applications.

itnetX continuously evaluates and implements new technologies for the SFV

In order to further modernize the SFA's ICT environment, itnetX has implemented a variety of technologies to optimize the handling of large amounts of data. For example, a new backup and archive system for media was introduced, which enables the SFA to back up media from media streaming platforms in accordance with compliance rules. In addition, data previously stored with various third-party providers was consolidated and centrally archived and backed up in Azure, which improves data security and simplifies access and management of information.

Furthermore, an API management platform was introduced to enable the secure provision of live match data to third-party providers and post-match data to clubs. This platform ensures protected access and usage policies (consumption policies) to ensure data integrity and security. In addition, storage optimization solutions and scaling of the web services were developed and implemented in order to manage the increasing storage requirements more efficiently. Through regular analysis and optimization, storage utilization was maximized and system performance and availability improved, resulting in an overall optimized infrastructure for SFV.

To further modernize the SFV's ICT environment, itnetX has also implemented the following technologies:

• Third-party backup solutions that provide an additional layer of data security.

• Third-party web caching and proxying that accelerate and improve web performance.

• Redis Cache, which enables fast and efficient data processing and storage.

• Azure Storage, which replaces conventional file servers and offers a modern and scalable storage solution.

• New storage tiering that enables cost-efficient storage of large volumes of data and reduces storage costs.

Dealing with large amounts of data

A challenging task in terms of storage space was the management of large amounts of data such as images and videos from game recordings. itnetX developed and implemented a tailor-made solution that included API management, storage optimization and the scaling of web services. This made it possible to identify ways in which the increasing storage requirements could be managed more efficiently. Regular analysis and optimization not only maximized storage utilization, but also improved system performance and availability, resulting in an overall optimized infrastructure for SFV.

Phase 3: Ongoing operation and support of the ICT infrastructure

The third phase of the project focuses on the ongoing operation and support of the ICT infrastructure. itnetX provides comprehensive support for Microsoft 365 and Azure and handles license management to ensure that all systems function optimally and that users have access to the resources they need at all times.

Proactive cost monitoring

itnetX conducts regular cost reviews of the SFV's ICT resources in order to identify optimization measures. The team of experts carefully analyzes the spending structure, looks for potential efficiencies and alternative solutions to improve resource utilization without compromising performance or quality. Through this proactive approach, itnetX ensures that ICT investments are always used optimally and that the budget is managed effectively.

Long-term partnership

The collaboration between SFV and itnetX goes beyond mere technical implementation and is based on a strategic partnership and comprehensive consulting. From the very beginning, close cooperation was maintained in order to precisely understand the specific needs of the SFV and to develop customized solutions.

 itnetX acts as the central point of contact for all SFV ICT matters. Regular project updates ensure that the SFV is always informed about progress and can react quickly to new requirements. Together, long-term ICT strategies are developed that not only meet current requirements, but also proactively tackle future challenges. This creates a sustainable and future-proof ICT infrastructure that supports the SFV's long-term success.