Chris Crist - "The Wireless-First Business Driver"
Chris Crist, CIO at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, explains why a wireless-first network is crucial for an operation that handles over 108 million passengers annually. He illustrates how wireless enables seamless biometric boarding, extensive IoT deployments, and nonstop connectivity. He outlines investments in redundant data centers and concourse distribution frames.
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EPISODE: Chris Crist Chief Information Officer @ Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport The Wireless-First Business Driver Episode 17
What’s Inside [2:29] Introduction to Chris Crist [31:04] Full Podcast Episode [2:36] Episode Highlights [1:21] Managing the Technology Behind the World’s Busiest Airport [2:28] How CIOs Earn a Seat at the Executive Table [2:02] Future Tech: Seamless Biometric Boarding for a Stop-Free Journey [2:40] Overcoming Data Center Cabling Limits Through Wireless Connectivity [3:21] Future-Proofing with Wireless Infrastructures [2:43] Embracing a Wireless-First Mindset for Greater Efficiency [4:37] Advice for CIOs: Place Your Bets on Resilient Infrastructure [3:07] Transforming Safety Through AI-Driven Security [2:35] Understanding the Business to Drive Meaningful Change [0:48] Short - Overcoming Data Center Cabling Limits Through Wireless Connectivity [0:59] Short - Future-Proofing with Wireless Infrastructures
EPISODE: A Podcast with Chris Crist Chris Crist, CIO at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, explains why a wireless-first network is crucial for an operation that handles over 108 million passengers annually. He illustrates how wireless enables seamless biometric boarding, extensive IoT deployments, and nonstop connectivity. He outlines investments in redundant data centers and concourse distribution frames.
Full Episode “We have to become more efficient with what we have. It’s through technology that we’re going to make that work, and we’ll need to rely more on wireless capabilities to do that.”
5 (2:36) Episode Highlights
(1:21) Managing the Technology Behind the World’s Busiest Airport “We’ve got to keep it running 24/7. This is an operation that never stops. So yes, we have an immense opportunity to ensure the passenger experience is safe and efficient through the use of technology.”
(2:28) How CIOs Earn a Seat at the Executive Table “There's a clear difference between organizations where the IT department is a few layers down from the CEO and those where it reports directly to the CEO or is closely aligned. In my opinion, the latter reflects an organization that views technology as a strategic partner, whereas the former tends to see it as merely a tactical initiative.”
8 (2:02) Future Tech: Seamless Biometric Boarding for a Stop-Free Journey “Through our partnership with Delta, we were able to pioneer what’s called ‘biometric air exit.’ Now, when you travel internationally, instead of pulling out a boarding pass or any documentation, you simply use facial recognition to board. For an organization that processes 300,000 passengers per day, saving even a few seconds makes a big difference.”
(2:40) Overcoming Data Center Cabling Limits Through Wireless Connectivity “We literally could not run any more physical cabling into the data center, so we have to rely more on wireless capability. We're investing quite a bit in improving our wireless access point capability, as well as the infrastructure required to make it all work.”
(3:21) Future-Proofing with Wireless Infrastructures “Some of our airlines were using our wireless infrastructure to check in passengers and board their flights. We didn’t realize how reliant they had become. We figured they were using it, but we didn’t realize they had pivoted to using it almost exclusively for conducting business.”
11 (2:43) Embracing a Wireless-First Mindset for Greater Efficiency “In my opinion, many organizations out there will be slowed down if they continue to rely solely on a wired connection to their end users. We’re investing heavily in redundancy to make wireless more reliable.”
(4:37) Advice for CIOs: Place Your Bets on Resilient Infrastructure “We’re setting up our organization to be redundant across all of our concourses, that’s the intention. So, my focus is on the foundation that all those exciting future things will rely on.”
(3:07) Transforming Safety Through AI-Driven Security “We're looking at adding an AI overlay to our CCTV capabilities. With this AI overlay, it will immediately filter and analyze footage, which is exciting because it will significantly enhance the security and safety of our passengers.”
14 (2:35) Understanding the Business to Drive Meaningful Change “If you really want to make that change in order to be successful, you first have to be at your best to understand the business you want to impact.”
YOUTUBE SHORT: “We literally could not run any more physical cabling into the data center, so we have to rely more on wireless capability. We're investing quite a bit in improving our wireless access point capability, as well as the infrastructure required to make it all work.” - Chris Crist
16 YOUTUBE SHORT: “Some of our airlines were using our wireless infrastructure to check in passengers and board their flights. We didn’t realize how reliant they had become. We figured they were using it, but we didn’t realize they had pivoted to using it almost exclusively for conducting business.” - Chris Crist
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