ELECTRONIC ARTS
CANADA
About Electronic Arts Inc.
• With its focus squarely on crea-
tivity and quality, Electronic Arts
has grown into the world’s largest
interactive entertainment software
company. With revenues exceeding
$1.2 billion U.S. for fiscal 1999, it is • One of these key development
a driving force in the highly com- studios, Electronic Arts Canada, is a
petitive interactive entertainment state-of-the-art, five-story campus style
marketplace. The company mission complex located in Burnaby, British
includes developing, publishing and Columbia, employing over 500 highly
distributing dynamic entertainment skilled people. Opened on January 4,
software for personal computers and 1999, this 207,000 sq. ft. facility was
video game systems. Two of these specifically designed to facilitate and
systems are the highly publicized promote a high level of design produc-
and extremely popular Nintendo® 64 tivity while simultaneously maintaining
and PlayStation®. Electronic Arts deve- a casual, creative working environment
lops and markets its products under for its people. This complex houses a
eight well-recognized brand names, motion capture studio, professional
including Electronic Arts™, EA SPORTS™, quality sound studios and an informa-
Maxis™, Origin™, Bullfrog Productions™, tion resource center. In keeping with
Westwood Studios™ and Jane’s® Combat their desire to provide an atmosphere
Simulations and Gonzo Games™. Their that fosters teamwork and high emplo-
vast worldwide distribution network yee morale, a health and fitness center,
operates in over 75 countries. Interna- a 65 seat theater with a 16 by 9 foot
tionally, there are 13 major product viewing screen and a company store
development centers. were added for use by employees.
IBDN Success Stories Technology
ELECTRONIC ARTS CANADA
The Challenge
• One of the main concerns in the • The NORDX/CDT, Reid Crowther
development of the Electronic Arts and BMS Communications team
Canada building was network were selected as key business partners
communications. In an innovation- to help build the cabling infrastructure for
driven technology market where the software development studio in
bigger/better/faster is key to gaming Burnaby, BC. Reid Crowther provided
success, this studio had very special the electrical and communications
networking requirements. cabling consultation for this extensive
project. Their experience in the design
• A critical success factor for Electronic Bandwidths needed to offer a perfor- and building for high-tech network
Arts is the timely and accurate distribu- mance level that would accommodate solutions was an invaluable asset to
tion of information between work current and future needs. It was clear Electronic Arts. The Project Manager
areas. The network and its applications that Electronic Arts would have a gro- and Engineer for the design elements of
formed an integral part of the design of wing need to develop and produce this project was Behzad Merhrabadi,
this high-tech operation. The needs larger, more intricate games. As pro- P. Eng., RCDD. Mr. Merhrabadi
were diverse. There was a requirement jects and missions change, the studio designed a structured cabling system
to have a high-speed, high-bandwidth would also require a network with the that provided flexibility and security for
network to accelerate data transmis- flexibility to quickly adapt to workstation Electronic Arts. Electronic Arts was
sion in the workplace. Projects in this growth and a redeployment frequency particularly impressed with their design
studio were to be typically very large, of 100 percent per annum. It was essen- for a secure structured cabling system
requiring the capability to transmit tial for Electronic Arts to have a flexible and has subsequently retained them
CD-sized amounts of data quickly but stable network system ensuring for phase two of this project.
and effectively between workstations. optimum performance that would lead
them well into the 21st Century. • The BMS Communications team
played another central role for Electronic
Arts. The BMS Communications team is
backed with over 20 years of com-
munications experience. Their ability
to implement this project in a very short
• A critical success factor for period of time was important in order
to move this project from the design
Electronic Arts is the timely and
stage to the launching stage.
accurate distribution of information
between work areas. •
IBDN Success Stories Technology
ELECTRONIC ARTS CANADA
Description
of the Installation: • This large installation required
• This large installation required high- high-density data and voice runs
density data and voice runs to each to each workstation. •
workstation. It consisted of some 8000
cable runs, 400 consolidation points
and BIX Wall mount systems in 16 tele-
communications rooms.
• Telecommunications rooms: BIX Wall • Cable installation: Raised floors
Mount Cross-Connect Systems were were used to provide pathways for
installed to ensure compact, high per- cable trays. These cable trays were
formance wire management. Darren used to feed IBDN 2400 cables.
Freeman, Senior Network Analyst at BIX connectors were used at the con-
Electronic Arts, commented on this solidation points to accommodate the
unique benefit: IBDN 2400 Cable which is designed
to provide a bandwidth of up to
“BIX Cross-Connects have proven 200 MHz in the cabling channels. The
to create less mess in the network clo- MDVO modular outlets provided a
sets, and after 14 months they look six-port outlet for cable terminations at
the same as they did on move-in day: each work area.
neat and tidy.”
IBDN Success Stories Technology
ELECTRONIC ARTS CANADA
The Network Solution
• In selecting their all-important net- • Consolidation Points under the • IBDN System Certification: 25 year
work solution, Electronic Arts Canada raised floor house the BIX 10A product warranty and a lifetime appli-
followed the recommendation of the mounts that feed four workstations of cation assurance for the cabling system.
design team from Reid Crowther. approximately 400 square feet. This guarantees the system will support
This design was based on an IDC wall These Consolidation Points provide future and present applications for
mount system with cross-connect wire. flexible termination connectivity. which this system was originally
The design tender documents was Each workstation has six data and designed. This would eliminate any
released by Reid Crowther among the voice outlets. potential future costs for maintenance
selected pre-qualified contractors. As and ensure sustained peak performance
part of this process, the NORDX/CDT • Moves and Changes (MACs) are in their network.
and BMS Communication Services team done via pre-terminated MDVO 6 port
was selected. One of the key features of surface outlets. • Space savings: Electronic Ar ts
this design was the use of the BIX con- Canada placed a high value on the
nectors with unjacketed jumper wire • Quality performance: BIX compo- space saving feature of the BIX Wall
instead of traditional patch panels and nents are designed to exceed proposed Mount System in their telecommunica-
patch cords. Following are some other Category 6 standards. Electronic Arts tions rooms. Only active components
key features and advantages presented. Canada can rely on unsurpassed need be mounted in racks and cabi-
performance from their network for nets. Space savings for communica-
• The BIX Cross-Connect System sup- years to come. tions equipment represent significant
ports future high-speed data applications cost savings and flexibility to migrate
to bandwidths of beyond 200 MHz. new systems on an as needed basis
Electronic Arts would then benefit from rather than port patching based on
accelerated data transmission to the proximity or wire management issues.
network while supporting business
critical application systems.
IBDN Success Stories Technology
ELECTRONIC ARTS CANADA
Conclusion
• In planning for the construction of
Electronic Arts Canada's new software
development facility, their manage-
ment group was faced with the difficult Company
challenge of providing a powerful, Electronic Arts (Canada)
high-performance network to accom-
modate ever-growing needs such as Location
larger, more complex game software Burnaby, British Columbia
and higher bandwidths. The unique
design of the BIX Wall Mount System Vertical Market
along with Consolidation Points provides High technology
flexibility to re-deploy and migrate to new
technologies to support Electronic Arts Number of Sites/Buildings
Canada's future network growth. They Five-story, campus-style complex
chose the NORDX/CDT, Reid Crowther
and BMS Communication Services Ltd. Cabling System
solutions because it met and exceeded IBDN BIX Cross-Connect
all of their requirements. NORDX/CDT
is proud to have played a vital role in
the planning and completion of this world For more information please contact:
class software development facility. Michele Lanteigne
NORDX/CDT
Tel.: (514) 822-7515
Email: michele.lanteigne@nordx.com
Electronic Arts, EA SPORTS, Maxis, Origin, Bullfrog Productions, Westwood Studios and Gonzo Games
are trademarks or registered trademarks of Electronic Arts Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries.
Jane's is a registered trademark of Jane's Information Group Ltd. Nintendo 64 is a trademark of
Nintendo of America Inc. PlayStation is a registered trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.
IBDN Success Stories Technology
ELECTRONIC ARTS CANADA