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Churchill Downs will be the site of this Saturday's 131st running of the Kentucky Derby. But after the legendary annual horse race is over, the famous track will be at the starting gate for deploying wireless technologies to serve racetrack clientele, according to IT staff there.
"Today, you buy a ticket at the window," says Reuben Moretz, data security analyst at Churchill Downs, describing how bets on race horses traditionally have been made. But in the future, if all goes according to plan, "We'll have an Internet-based wagering platform with wireless personal digital assistants. This device will let you look up information on a horse and make a bet. You'll even be able to make food purchases from it that will be delivered to you."
Plans call for first testing of the new system with participants in the Twin Spires Club, a free membership organization for attendees of the half-dozen racetracks owned by Churchill Downs.
"We'll probably have about 70 to 100 devices at first," Moretz said. "We'll assign a PDA to members of the Twin Spires Club [who] want to use it."
Security Issues
A lot of detail is still being worked out--such as whether Churchill Downs should charge a deposit on the PDA to make sure it is returned. Bigger challenges include completing installation of a wireless LAN at the racetrack--the process has already begun and laptop-equipped reporters covering this week's race are expected to use it--to link into the racetrack's private-line network.
In addition, the Churchill Downs IT staff will have to integrate new PDA applications for betting and customer service with the current back-end database applications.
Of course, ensuring security across the wireless operations is paramount. "We are worried about rogue access points being able to piggyback onto the wireless network or find a way to hack into the interface for betting," Moretz acknowledges. But IT staff are working on ways to ensure that this doesn't happen, he adds.
The track's IT staff hopes to make it to the finish line by fall with the first wireless betting operations ready for use during the autumn racing schedule. "The idea is to cater to our Twin Spires customers," says Moretz. "And it will be the first wireless LAN racetrack in the country."
