NATO Chicago Summit IT Network & Support

In May 2012, Chicago hosted the NATO Summit, one of the most significant global diplomatic gatherings in the city’s history. Held at McCormick Place, the event convened heads of state, foreign ministers, and military leaders from all 28 NATO member countries, along with delegations from partner nations. Ensuring secure, seamless, and high-performing digital communications for such a high-stakes event required sophisticated infrastructure, trusted partnerships, and exceptional execution. 

Level-1 provided secure IT systems and networks for the NATO Chicago Summit, supporting global leaders, agencies, and media operations.

Level-1 Global Solutions played a vital role in supporting this momentous event by designing, delivering, and managing critical IT systems used by international delegates, U.S. government agencies, and media organizations. As a partner to Dell, Level-1 provided more than 150 secure laptops configured to meet stringent U.S. State Department access protocols. These devices supported the secure operations of NATO, U.S. State Department offices, and the event’s Host Committee. 

The team also engineered and maintained temporary high-speed IT networks throughout the venue, including the International Media Center, a public internet café, and secure communications hubs for government agencies and foreign delegations. Our networks supported U.S. and allied agencies including the FBI, U.S. Secret Service, Department of State, Department of Defense, and the Office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. In addition, systems supported NATO’s central command (headquartered in Brussels) and United Nations representatives attending the summit. Level-1’s networks enabled secure VPN access, controlled user authentication, and bandwidth-intensive applications essential for real-time updates, classified communications, and global media coverage. 

What We Delivered 

• Procurement, configuration, and deployment of 150+ Dell laptops with encrypted storage and security settings for State Department compliance 
• Custom device provisioning for the Host Committee’s off-site event operations, linked to Chicago’s emergency response network 
• Design and installation of temporary IT networks supporting NATO delegates, federal agencies, and media in McCormick Place 
• On-site management of wired and wireless networks for use by national and international journalists, dignitaries, and agency staff 
• Real-time technical support from Level-1’s Extended Sourcing Solutions™ team during the Summit 
• Collaboration with Dell and government entities to maintain continuous operations across all IT nodes 

The 2012 NATO Summit demanded flawless technical execution under the scrutiny of global eyes, and it was an honor to help deliver it on Chicago’s home turf. Level-1 designed and implemented secure, high-performance systems that met the summit’s uncompromising standards for cybersecurity, connectivity, and resilience. From classified briefings to real-time press communications, every critical transmission moved seamlessly, securely, and without interruption.