The icing on the Beanpot

Database software from InterSystems was chosen to provide real-time sports information to hockey fans at the 50th Beanpot Tournament Feb. 4 and 11 in Boston. Caché was slated to be used with the Trakus Digital Sports Information system--its real-time player tracking software--to give fans access to data regarding player speed, distance skated, tendencies, power and endurance, according to a recent press release from InterSystems. Statistics will be displayed on television, the Internet, in-venue, broadband and wireless Web.

The DSI application uses Caché for storing each player’s performance data, which is captured in real time through radio tags attached to the players’ equipment. Participating in the tournament are players from Boston College, Boston University, Northeastern and Harvard. Information is updated on each player 30 times per second, InterSystems says, processed through the database and made available for queries and replays on each of the institution’s Web sites, as well as on the New England Sports Network. Trakus will employ its GameViewer application to provide a real-time, animated, interactive re-creation of the tournament.

Says Bob McCarthy, executive VP and CTO of Trakus, “Caché . . . enables our DSI application server to receive, process and disseminate a massive amount of information about each player. Tournament followers can view the feedback on their PCs, handhelds and TV screens, giving them immediate access to in-depth information about each player on the ice.”

Paul Grabscheid, VP of strategic planning for InterSystems, says, “Sports fans closely scrutinize player performance through the use of statistics. By gathering and analyzing a constant stream of data, Caché and DSI will raise fan awareness to a new level.”