Skip to main content

KEY CHALLENGES

Key challenges

Managing a complex IT infrastructure while ensuring systems remain secure, reliable, and game ready for every high-stakes event.

KEY RESULTS

Key results

A unified IT ecosystem that delivers greater efficiency, stronger security, and a seamless fan experience. 

Jon Santee
quote ball

“Our job is to make sure the technology works so well that fans don’t even think about it. They just experience the game.”

Jon Santee

Vice President of Information Technology, 

Atlanta Hawks and State Farm Arena

About

The Atlanta Hawks are a professional basketball team with a rich history and a passionate fan base. Known for their fast-paced style and commitment to excellence and innovation, the Hawks deliver excitement on and off the court. Behind every fast break, scoreboard update, and memorable event at State Farm Arena is a team the fans rarely see but always feel.

Behind the scenes, the IT team keeps the organization running like clockwork. Jon Santee, Vice President of IT, and Jo-El Rowell, Technical Help Desk Manager, are part of a team managing all aspects of IT, including network infrastructure, endpoints, and digital systems across multiple facilities. Their work touches every corner, ensuring that players, staff, and fans can focus on the game while technology hums quietly in the background.

Elevating the technology behind State Farm Arena

In the heart of downtown Atlanta, State Farm Arena is more than a premier sports and live entertainment venue, it's a digital ecosystem. The Atlanta Hawks operate one of the most complex IT environments in professional sports, spanning three interconnected facilities, more than 1,000 endpoints, real-time data link feeds, broadcast systems, venue infrastructure, and nonstop fan interaction.

To keep their IT environment running seamlessly, the Hawks teamed up with ManageEngine to unify operations, enhance security, and create a scalable foundation for future innovation. With ManageEngine, they gain the visibility, automation, and control needed to keep every system running smoothly—so fans can focus on the game, not the tech. 

Download the pdf to read the full story!

On game nights, every second counts. If the network 
goes down, fans can’t upload images, live stats freeze, 
and broadcasts may suffer. We need to see and solve 
issues before they reach the fans.”

Jo-El Rowell

Jo-El Rowell,

Technical Help Desk Manager, 

Atlanta Hawks and State Farm Arena

At a glance

State Farm Arena capacity during Hawks’ home games
Endpoints

Facilities
Downtime tolerance

Products in focus

Products in focus

  • ADAudit Plus

    Tracks changes across
    hundreds of IT systems

  • ServiceDesk Plus

    Automates ticketing and
    incident management

  • Endpoint Central

    Patches devices and
    manages endpoints
    across all facilities

  • OpManager

    Monitors networks,
    servers, and critical
    infrastructure in real time

Basketball court
 
  • ServiceDesk Plus

    Automates ticketing and
    incident management

  • OpManager

    Monitors networks,
    servers, and critical
    infrastructure in real time

Media coverage

Read the partnership announcement
MORE STORIES LIKE THIS
DOWNLOAD PDF
X
X