Wimbledon furthers technology partnership with IBM
IBM analytics, social media, cloud, mobile and cyber security tools all harnessed by All England Club
Wimbledon has furthered its partnership with IBM in order to bring tennis fans closer to the All England Club's world-famous tennis championships with the use of technology including analytics, social media, cloud, mobile and cyber security tools.
The prestigious tennis tournament begins on 29 June and the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club (AELTC) is keen to harness the power of digital in order to bring tennis fans the best experience possible.
Technology has long been important to Wimbledon, but now fans are set to benefit from the use of it too.
Digital innovations being brought to Wimbledon include "unparalleled" access to real-time live scoring, courtside action and insights via a redesigned website - designed by digital agency IBM Interactive Experience to be responsive to any device - and an upgraded mobile app "experience".
IBM InfoSphere Stream and Watson Engagement Advisor analytical tools will also be used to provide Wimbledon fans with real-time match insights and statistics, comparing player performances in 2015 with their performances in past tournaments.
Wimbledon's partnership with IBM will also provide the AELTC with increased cyber security defences and "a unified view of all security events" which may occur during the tournament.
IBM states that it has already observed a 94 per cent rise in cyber security "events" targeting Wimbledon.com compared with the same period last year. An increase in cyber criminals targeting Wimbledon comes after IBM previously warned on the proliferating use of banking Trojans in enterprise attacks.
Mick Desmond, commercial and media director at the AELTC, explained why Wimbledon chose to partner with IBM.
"With help from IBM, we are providing a world-class digital experience with the best real-time content to fans of The Championships. This allows them to get closer to all the action across all of Wimbledon's 19 courts, no matter where they are, or what device they're using," he said.
Sam Seddon, Wimbledon client and program executive for IBM, welcomed the opportunity to work with the AELTC.
"Serving up uninterrupted access to real-time Wimbledon match records and trends allows us to showcase the benefits of delivering insights at speed," he said.
"For Wimbledon, this capability will allow them to enrich the fan experience by providing a comprehensive and compelling digital platform featuring instant access to video, scores, articles, interviews and breaking tournament news."
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