IN THIS ARTICLE
SUMMARY
Company name:
Norwegian National Opera & Ballet
Industry:
Music & Entertainment
Company website:
operaen.no
Location:
Oslo, Norway
Entering the beautifully designed building of the Norwegian Opera & Ballet, visitors can expect to hear world-class music, such as a recent production of La Traviata, or be delighted by dancers on stage, for instance with their version of Tchaikovsky’s famous The Nutcracker. However, behind the scenes, another essential performance takes place: the technology that enables these audio and visual spectaculars, including NETGEAR Pro AV network equipment, which helps to ensure the smooth running of a diverse range of shows. Since its installation, benefits include ease of use, simple configuration, and the confidence that NETGEAR support is available.
BACKGROUND
The Oslo Opera House is home to several of the country’s leading companies in the cultural sector. These include the Norwegian National Ballet, the Norwegian National Opera, the Norwegian National Opera Orchestra, the Norwegian National Opera Chorus, the Norwegian National Opera Children’s Chorus, and the Norwegian National Ballet School.
Apart from bringing together some of the country’s finest dance, music, and singing talents, the Norwegian National Opera & Ballet is a joy to visit due to its impressive architecture. Its angular design gives the impression that the building rises from the waters of the Oslo fjord. The venue also makes the most of technology to enhance the experience for performers, stage managers and visitors alike. Above all, technology needs to be a supporting act that ensures the efficiency of performances on stage while requiring as little effort and distraction for users as possible.
These are two of the objectives of Anders Verde, the organisation’s Systems Developer. “My job is to capture the requirements of users (typically stage managers), ensure their needs are met, and that equipment such as the audio network is simple for them to operate. These stage managers already have their hands full with everything else. So, every system I provide them has to be as simple and stable as possible.”
CHALLENGE
Like many other venues worldwide, the Norwegian Opera & Ballet is increasingly transitioning from traditional analogue to AV over IP networking. From the start, they’ve used an audio-over-IP network and have used Dante since 2016/2017. So, Anders’ emphasis on providing ease of use and high reliability also needs to extend to network design. For example, each department has its subset of network switches that interoperate but can also be isolated from each other in case any issues are experienced. Users can operate each network but lock down enough to prevent them from inadvertently making changes that could lead to problems.
According to Anders, the decision to replace existing network switches with models from NETGEAR was prompted by additional configuration requirements that proved problematic. “It was hard to find instructions on configuring the previous switches with optimal settings for Dante or multicast in general. I’d get as many answers as the number of websites I visited, with everyone having their take. Also, I didn’t get the support I needed from the vendor. Nothing worked out of the box, and there were a lot of hidden settings. We also experienced a lack of interoperability, especially regarding spanning-tree between vendors, which led to network downtime that was hard to troubleshoot.”
SOLUTION
So, After extensive research, Anders decided to look at alternatives and chose NETGEAR with its Pro AV Line of network switches for several reasons, including the valuable addition of simplified configuration. “NETGEAR was less expensive than the previous vendor — we got many more units for the same price – and it gives us all the features we need together, but with the ease of configuration I wanted. I don’t need to know exactly how it works, just that it does work.” Just as importantly, Anders’ non-technical colleagues at the venue also do not need to become network configuration experts either: they learn how to use Engage, NETGEAR’s GUI-based AV switch controller.
The level of support and responsiveness that Anders receives from NETGEAR has also been vital. “With NETGEAR, I get a quick response. For instance, I had one of the top guys on the phone with me for an hour when we had an issue. I would never get that level of support from the previous vendor.” Anders also appreciates that NETGEAR is ready to listen to ideas or requests for improvements or new features. “There is also a short path to suggesting new developments.”
RESULTS
To minimize potential disruption, the NETGEAR switches were installed in the summer of 2024, during the venue’s least busy period. Although NETGEAR provided some initial input on the design, Anders carried out the installation over two weeks. However, Anders emphasizes the quality of the NETGEAR support team and Johan Hoel in the Norwegian NETGEAR office.
“I have to thank the guys at NETGEAR because they gave me a quick response, and having that close relationship is an important part of what I look for in a vendor. Issues happen — that is to be expected — but with NETGEAR, I have confidence that I will get the support I need.”
With this knowledge that help is at hand and the equipment’s simple ease of use, the Norwegian National Opera & Ballet can be confident that the installed NETGEAR network switches will play a decisive supporting role in the wings.