As a former LPGA Tour professional, Vicki Goetze-Ackerman can appreciate the peace of mind that comes with feeling secure, no matter where she might find herself in a wide-open tournament environment.
But at a time when potential security threats can sometimes go unnoticed, technological solutions like the ones NEC has been synonymous with for nearly 120 years go a long way in alleviating uneasiness.
That’s why the LPGA decided this year to expand its existing relationship with NEC and make the industry security leader its official technology partner. Goetze-Ackerman, who now serves as the LPGA’s Player President, said the partnership is proving to be a win-win.
Between the security and the convenient frictionless entry that NEC’s biometric NeoFace facial recognition technology helps to ensure, and the data analysis that is providing LPGA players with more on-course statistical data than ever before, putting NEC to work has already provided major benefits.
“What (NEC) stands for is safety, security and efficiency and all three things are very important to the LPGA,” Goetze-Ackerman said.
The payoff isn’t just coming for the world’s top women’s golfers, however, as NEC’s technology is also providing security and convenience to both patrons who attend LPGA Tour events and tournament staff. By using biometrics, the same level of security that NEC has developed and implemented for years in high-traffic venues like airports, theme parks, and other large sports environments is being used at LPGA events around the world.
The reason why is simple. “I think people want to be safe,” said Lisa Johnson, who works a key business development role at NEC and assists stadium and arena operators with facial recognition solutions.
Last year, NEC partnered with the LPGA in a pilot program at the ANA Inspiration Tournament in Palm Springs, Calif. The program was designed to provide a VIP experience for media members and other credentialed patrons to provide seamless entry into secured areas around the golf course.
By using NeoFace facial recognition, faces from the crowd can be extracted from video feeds. The technology then matches faces with a database and handles up to 3.02 million searches per second.
NeoFace offers scalable architecture and enterprise-class features that integrate and deploy with existing surveillance systems. It also allows critical infrastructure to keep tens of thousands of sports fans safe, by accurately identifying known security threats and alerting security personnel to their presence at a venue.
While the use of facial recognition technology may create pause for some, the fact that similar types of software are now being used in Apple’s iPhone X has eased some tension, making its presence at sporting events like LPGA tournaments more widely accepted.
“That expectation of convenience that’s in your hand today, we’re bringing that to the physical world,” said Allen Ganz, NEC’s director of customer experience. “Customers are expecting that level of convenience whether they are accessing their phone or walking through the front door of a stadium.”
In addition to providing player and fan security and safety, NEC technology is also being used in data capturing. Once limited to the driving range, data-capturing devices to detect aspects of a golfer’s game like launch angles, spin rates, and other useful information are being used on the course itself.
Now, the same information that assisted players in getting the most out of their clubs on the range is being generated during tournament play, which is proving to be a game-changer for those responsible for making sure LPGA players are getting everything they need from their equipment.
“Now, they’re able to pinpoint things,” said LPGA club repair technician Paul Boehmer. “So any of this NEC data we’re getting is going to be gold for anybody out there. When you have this kind of data, it’s invaluable to us.”
Johnson said LPGA Tour officials remain in constant communication with NEC as they continue to seek out new ways facial recognition technology can make their events even better.
“The athletes love it and the (LPGA Tour) officials love it,” Johnson said. “Part of it that it’s a cool technology, part of is that it works and the third part of it is that we’re great partners.”
Learn more about NEC’s facial recognition technology here:
