Microsoft .NET
Customer Solution Case Study
Sports Management Solution Wins the Game
with New Revenue Streams, Fast Customer
ROI
Overview
Country or Region: Netherlands
Industry: IT/Sports Entertainment
Customer Profile
1-2Focus provides sports management
solutions to help clubs achieve success in
their particular fields. Based in the
Netherlands, the company targets the
international sporting community.
Business Situation
With its product evolving rapidly, an
expanding customer base, and its
developers fully deployed, 1-2Focus
needed to reassess its technology strategy.
The firm realised its initial environment
could no longer support the more
sophisticated capabilities it hoped to
introduce.
Solution
1-2Focus decided to use the Microsoft®
.NET Framework version 2.0 and Microsoft
SQL Server™ 2005 to redesign and
redevelop its entire solution in a modular
architecture. Using the resources of
partner Capgemini, the company also
adopted an offshore development strategy
to ensure the necessary capacity.
Benefits
 Extensible solution
 Cost-effective development
 Future-proofed, extensible architecture
 New communication channels with
customers
“The .NET Framework makes it easy to integrate the
specialist technologies we need to present the
animations used to analyse individual performance.”
Rufus van Gom, Technical Director, 1-2Focus
Solution provider to the sports industry 1-2Focus has redesigned
and redeveloped its sports management software. To meet growing
customer expectations, the firm realised it needed to embrace the
latest technologies. Being adaptable to the needs of teams and
individuals in a wider range of sports, the new modular solution will
give 1-2Focus access to the global market. The redevelopment was
done offshore in India by partner Capgemini, using the Microsoft®
.NET Framework version 2.0. Primarily written in Microsoft Visual
C#® 2005, Microsoft Visual Studio® 2005 was used to create the
user interface and Microsoft SQL Server™ 2005 used to provide the
back-end database. Capgemini also contributed to the solution’s
design. The new, future-proofed architecture will ensure 1-2Focus
can embrace new, emerging technologies. As a result, the firm is
developing new business streams while delivering a significantly
wider range of benefits to customers.
Situation
Founded in 2001 by sports professionals,
1-2Focus provides sports management
solutions to help sports clubs achieve
success in their particular fields. Based in the
Netherlands, the company targets the
international sporting community. Its product,
also known as 1-2Focus, manages all the
core business activities and processes
involved in running a sports club, such as
training, player health, and logistics.
“We worked with
Capgemini to develop a
solution architecture
capable of supporting
any sport without
requiring significant
redevelopment."
Roland Schoofs, Lead Developer and
Architect, 1-2Focus
1-2Focus developed its first solution
prototype in 2002 and, with an early focus on
the management of football and hockey
clubs, quickly established an international
clientele of some of the world’s leading clubs.
By the end of 2004, with the solution evolving
rapidly, an expanding customer base, and its
developers fully deployed, 1-2Focus realised
it needed to reassess its strategy. Rufus van
Gom, Technical Director at 1-2Focus,
explains: “We needed to reconsider
technology. The initial development of the
product was entirely in-house using
Microsoft® Visual Basic® version 6.0. The
capabilities of this earlier technology were
limited and the database model that evolved
could not easily support the more
sophisticated capabilities we hoped to
introduce.”
With the desire to extend business into other
sports, 1-2Focus also had to meet the
expectations of potential customers for
solutions developed using the latest
technologies. To achieve this change,
1-2Focus recognised it needed a technical
partner to provide the necessary
development capacity. Following evaluation
of potential partners, in 2005 the company
selected Capgemini to provide the help it
needed. van Gom explains: “With its
resources in India offering the highest
professional qualifications, delivering quality
work and providing a cost-effective service,
we found Capgemini to be the best partner
for our needs.”
As well as providing 1-2Focus with additional
technical development capacity, Capgemini is
also contributing to application design
strategy. In particular, it has worked closely
with 1-2Focus to develop a design that can
be easily adapted to meet the management
needs of a wide variety of other sports.
Roland Schoofs, Lead Developer and
Architect at 1-2Focus, explains: “We worked
with Capgemini to develop a solution
architecture capable of supporting any sport
without requiring significant redevelopment.
Our aim is to require less than 20 per cent
reworking for any new deployment. We also
want to broaden the scope of the solution to
cover individual as well as team sports.”
Solution
1-2Focus chose a modular design for the new
solution. Elements included a management
module, a technical module for trainers,
medical, and scouting modules, and cover
the full range of sports club activities and
business processes. van Gom says: “We
wanted to be the first to apply technology to
all aspects of running a sports club and we
wanted to make the latest innovative
techniques available to all clubs. We wanted
to include, for example, the ability to capture,
store, and play back three-dimensional (3D)
exercise animations demonstrating ideal
performance, which players, junior to
professional, could compare to video footage
of their actual performance.”
To deliver such innovation, 1-2Focus needed
a technology that would allow the vision to
become a reality. Having used Microsoft
development tools from the start, 1-2Focus
adopted the Microsoft .NET Framework
version 1.1 as early as possible, later moving
to the Microsoft .NET Framework version 2.0,
as this environment supports expansion into
Internet and Smart Client territories. The .NET
Framework is an integral component of the
Microsoft Windows® operating system that
provides a programming model and runtime
for Web services, Web applications, and
smart client applications.
"The flexibility of the
.NET Framework makes
it straightforward to
deliver the vital
additional value these
important elements
bring to our solution.”
Roland Schoofs, Lead Developer and
Architect, 1-2Focus
John van Wezel, Business Development
Manager at Capgemini, supports the choice:
“The .NET Framework was chosen by
1-2Focus because it provides a reliable
environment in which to build applications. In
addition, many potential customers have
already implemented Microsoft technologies.
Their adoption of a solution built using the
.NET Framework will be easier because it will
integrate easily into their existing
infrastructure; implementation will be
accelerated and licence management
simplified. This, in turn, will also help
1-2Focus to speed up the sales process.”
Schoofs provides a technical overview of the
solution: “We have implemented a layered
architecture, supported by a Microsoft SQL
Server™ 2005 database at the backend. The
layers, which manage security and user
access to the different objects, as well as the
processing of the business logic, all support
the presentation layer and user interface.
They also include a data layer that uses
Microsoft ADO.NET to talk to stored
procedures in the database. We also use
Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Reporting
Services to analyse data and provide
management reports.”
Security management is particularly
important. Schoofs continues: “Much of the
information used by the application, such as
medical and injury history, is very sensitive.
We designed a role-based model to define
the granular control we need over access to
data. It allows individuals to see all or only
part of an object, to see but not change an
object, or not to see it at all.”
As van Gom explains, 1-2Focus chose
Microsoft Visual C#® 2005 development tool
to develop the solution: “Visual C# 2005 is
ideal for creating a data-driven, Windowsbased solution such as 1-2Focus. It provides
a rich component-oriented programming
environment that includes numerous
productivity features. The result is fast,
efficient development, which ensures speed
to market and the capabilities our customers
require.”
The user interface was created using
Microsoft Visual Studio® 2005 development
system. Visual Studio 2005 encourages highproductivity application development by
supporting teamwork through the sharing of
best practices and guidelines. It offers a
number of channels, including access
through the desktop, some Web access, and
interaction using wireless devices such as
personal digital assistants (PDAs) and tablet
PCs running Microsoft Windows XP Tablet PC
Edition. Schoofs says: ”To support activities in
the field, we have implemented standard SQL
Server 2005 replication techniques. Users
can use laptops and tablet PCs to work offline and to synchronise their devices with the
central server later.”
The inclusion of 3D animations and video
technologies for performance analysis is
typical of the innovation 1-2Focus has
achieved using the .NET Framework. Schoofs
says: “The .NET Framework makes it easy to
integrate the specialist technologies we need
to present the animations used to analyse
individual performance. The flexibility of the
.NET Framework makes it straightforward to
deliver the vital additional value these
important elements bring to our solution.”
He concludes: “Microsoft technologies futureproof our solution and provide an extensible
environment that encourages us to develop
our business offering. As a result, we are able
to plan new mobile phone services, which will
augment those our customers currently offer
to sports enthusiasts and club supporters,
and, at the same time, bring valuable new
revenue to 1-2Focus.”
Benefits
“The breadth of
technologies
encompassed by the
.NET Framework makes
it easy for us to share
our application with
partners."
Roland Schoofs, Lead Developer and
Architect, 1-2Focus
Extensible Solutions, Cost-Effective
Development Environment
Despite the decision to do offshore future
development with Capgemini, 1-2Focus
continues to benefit directly from the breadth
of technology within the .NET Framework and
the speed of development it delivers. The
advantages include the easy adoption of new
technologies to support a flexible product
strategy capable of meeting future customer
requirements and fast time to market.
Schoofs is enthusiastic about the benefits:
“Microsoft is the market leader offering the
best tools available, so everyone is
compatible with its development solutions. As
a result, we are not locked into any given
technology when seeking specialist
capabilities.
“The scope of Microsoft solutions is huge.
Whatever you need, whether it be a
development environment or a database,
middleware or a Web solution, a wireless or
mobile phone platform, you can buy it off the
shelf. Combined with excellent licensing
flexibility, it means that Microsoft can
dramatically reduce the speed and cost of
development.”
Future-Proofed, Extensible Solution
Architecture
Given the investment in redeveloping and
taking its product to market, 1-2Focus is
keen to ensure that the new solution and the
technologies it depends upon have longevity.
Schoofs is clear about the advantage
Microsoft delivers in this respect: “We believe
future development, embracing new
platforms and scaling up the application for a
worldwide audience can be achieved with the
current Microsoft solution. For example, if we
want to move to a phone platform, we can
use Microsoft Windows Mobile™ technology,
which is seamlessly integrated in our current
Visual Studio development environment.”
van Gom says: “The continuity provided by
the Microsoft environment and the .NET
Framework, in particular the ease with which
they can encompass emerging technologies,
ensures 1-2Focus will continue to benefit
from its recent development investment for
years to come.”
New Channels of Communication, New
Revenue Opportunities
The redeveloped solution provides new
channels of communication that allow the
dissemination of specific information to
different audience categories. This allows
1-2Focus to extend the involvement of
existing customers, to attract new interest,
and to develop valuable additional revenue
streams.
Schoofs explains: “The breadth of
technologies encompassed by the .NET
Framework makes it easy for us to share our
application with partners. We can develop
new revenue streams by providing tailored
analysis and information about players and
games, including video footage, to television
companies and other specific interest groups.
These may include Web-based subscription
services to individual supporters or specialist
Web sites.”
van Gom says: “The potential for new
business is a significant advantage of the
redeveloped solution. Information captured
on the field using tablet PCs and video
images can be sent, almost immediately if
necessary, through narrowcast to personal
technologies such as PDAs and mobile
phones, or to private networks serving
specific organisations. In addition, podcasts
featuring specific goals or players, for
example, can be made available for mobile
phones, Internet browsers, or even mp3players.”
“Microsoft technologies
make it possible for us
to provide significant
financial benefits to our
customers.”
Rufus Van Gom, Technical Director, 1-2FOCUS
Delivering Cost Reduction, Fast Return on
Investment
The ability of the Microsoft technologies to
collect and analyse business metrics is
helping 1-2Focus deliver significant financial
benefit to its customers and maintain the
edge on its competitors. “By providing better
insight into player availability and match
readiness, we can help reduce the player
selection needed to maintain an efficient
squad,” explains van Gom. Given the costs
associated with retaining professional
players, the financial benefits to clubs will be
significant. Helping a club to reduce squad
capacity by one player alone can save
millions of dollars each year.
van Gom illustrates the point: “Microsoft
technologies make it possible for us to
provide significant financial benefits to our
customers. In a recent example, a major
international Italian club reduced injury rates
by 96 per cent, which, in turn, helped them to
reduce the size of the first team squad by
four players. Notwithstanding the time
required to collect the initial metrics, savings
on this scale produce an almost immediate
return on investment.”
Improved Data Analysis
Accurate data analysis provides great value
for sports clubs in strategic and day-to-day
planning. However, without easy access to
data, the tools to perform the analysis, and
the means to report the findings, the value of
the data cannot be realised.
Schoofs is enthusiastic about the advantages
the redeveloped solution now brings to his
customers: “The detailed data analysis
capabilities of the new 1-2Focus solution,
made possible by SQL Server 2005 Reporting
Services, is releasing value for our customers
by giving clubs a far more granular
understanding of and control over the
management of both their players and
businesses.”
Security for Business Intelligence, Reliable
Knowledge Transfer
Most sports clubs depend on their coaching
personnel to record the training information
and match notation gathered as part of the
club’s day-to-day activities. This intelligence is
crucial to successful training and to wider
strategic planning, such as player acquisition,
match tactics, budget management, and
wider business development. Yet, in most
clubs, this vital information is paper-based,
held by the coaching staff, and likely to be
lost if they move to other clubs.
1-2Focus provides sports clubs with the
means to secure and maximise the value of
this intelligence. van Gom explains: “By
making it possible to centralise this data,
Microsoft technologies are helping us
increase its worth for our clients by giving
them complete control over its maintenance
and by providing secure access only to those
who need it.”
For More Information
Microsoft .NET
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Microsoft .NET is software that connects
people, information, systems, and devices
through the use of Web services. Web
services are a combination of protocols that
enable computers to work together by
exchanging messages. Web services are
based on the standard protocols of XML,
SOAP, and WSDL, which allow them to
interoperate across platforms and programming languages.
For more information about Capgemini
products and services, visit the Web site at:
www.capgemini.com
.NET is integrated across Microsoft products
and services, providing the ability to quickly
build, deploy, manage, and use connected,
secure solutions with Web services. These
solutions provide agile business integration
and the promise of information anytime,
anywhere, on any device.
For more information about 1-2Focus
products and services, visit the Web site at:
www.1-2focus.nl
For more information about Microsoft .NET,
please visit the Web site at:
www.microsoft.com/net
Software and Services

© 2006 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. This case
study is for informational purposes only. MICROSOFT MAKES NO
WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, IN THIS SUMMARY.
Microsoft, Visual Basic, Visual C#, Visual Studio, Windows, the
Windows logo, Windows Mobile, and Windows Server are either
registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in
the United States and/or other countries. All other trademarks
are property of their respective owners.
Document published April 2006
Products
− Microsoft SQL Server 2005
− Microsoft Visual C# 2005
− Microsoft Visual Studio 2005
− Microsoft Windows XP Tablet PC
Edition

Technologies
− Microsoft ADO.NET
− Microsoft .NET Framework version 2.0
− Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Reporting
Services