Tennis Australia and IBM use new mobile apps, enhanced data analytics and cloud computing to deliver the most engaging event yet for fans.
IBM is bringing tennis fans even closer to the Australian Open 2014, with new ways to access and interact with the latest tournament news and courtside action from the Grand Slam as it happens.
Through the use of innovative and interactive technology,
IBM will provide fans with a richer fan experience for the international
tennis tournament. The official mobile apps
for the Australian Open deliver easy functionality with real-time
scores and schedules, comprehensive match and player analysis and
Twitter feeds. New this year is the free iPad app,
which is the ultimate digital destination, enabling fans to follow
their favourite players, tweet messages of support from a player's
profile and track player popularity online using IBM social media
analytics.
“We are seeing increased demand from fans around the world for more
access and real-time event content. Over the two weeks of the Australian
Open last year, more than 15.5 million unique users connected with the
tournament online, and almost half of the website views were from mobile
devices. Each year we aim to enhance the event experience and this
year we have worked with our technology partner, IBM,
to develop a new iPad app, improve the website and smartphone apps, as
well as advance the technology infrastructure behind the scenes,” said
Samir Mahir, CIO, Tennis Australia.
Today’s tennis fans also seek a deeper experience that goes beyond
live scores and updates. Insights and visualisations, provided by IBM SlamTracker
on the Australian Open website, analyse more than eight years of Grand
Slam data to identify patterns in player style. New features to
SlamTracker for 2014 include streamlined analysis of more fan friendly
key turning points in a match, such as aces and winning shots, and a social media sentiment feed that measures the percentage of positive tweets.
“During the Australian Open each year we transform almost overnight
from a medium size business to a global enterprise that must service
millions of fans, players, media and officials from around the globe,”
continued Samir Mahir. “Using IBM predictive analytics and cloud
computing technologies ensures we can meet this demand uninterrupted.”
IBM predictive cloud provisioning analyses multiple data sources in
real-time, such as tournament schedule, player popularity, historical
data and social media conversations, to predict and automatically
allocate the computing power required by the Australian Open website.
New this year, tennis fans can also now experience what it is like to
face a serve from one of the world’s top players with the new IBM
ReturnServe. To create this experience for fans IBM, in partnership with
Tennis Australia, analyses real-time data from every point of the game
at the Rod Laver Arena during the tournament. Displayed in a graphically
animated environment and hosted on IBM SoftLayer, this live serve data
lets fans attempt to return each serve at home using their computer or
at select onsite locations using a virtual reality headset.
“Our 21-year history with the Australian Open has been about making
the event and the sport of tennis more engaging and enjoyable. This
latest focus on the omni-channel experience is no exception. With new
digital technologies like the iPad app and virtual reality IBM
ReturnServe, this event is a leading example of how cloud computing,
data analytics, social and mobile technologies can help organisations
better connect with audiences,” said Glen Thomas, Vice President of
Marketing and Communications, IBM Australia and New Zealand.
Australian Open 2014
IBM and Tennis Australia
Since IBM became Tennis Australia’s technology partner in 1993, the
partnership has delivered innovative technology solutions, enhancing the
Australian Open experience for players, coaches and fans around the
world. Key IBM solutions at the 2014 tournament include:
- IBM SlamTracker - statistics and visualisation platform using predictive analytics and historical data to identify and broadcast key performance indicators, providing comparisons of players’ careers and live performances. This analysis includes key performance indicators — what players need to do to succeed in a match — known as 'Keys to the Match'. During the match, each player's performance is measured against their keys and updated in real time on ausopen.com, providing fans with a deeper level of insight as the match unfolds.
- Ausopen.com website - IBM designs, develops and hosts the official website on an IBM private cloud. Fans can follow live scores from every court, review highlights of the day’s play, listen to live tournament radio and read blogs.
- New in 2014 – IBM ReturnServe - Tennis fans can now experience what it’s like to face the world’s top players with the ReturnServe website and the ReturnServe virtual reality experience at selected locations in Sydney and Melbourne. Based on live data analysed by IBM technology at Rod Laver Arena, fans can face each serve at home, using their computer or at the virtual reality locations using a headset. The aim of the game is to return serves at the same speed as the world’s best. IBM ReturnServe is hosted on IBM SoftLayer, a robust and scalable platform.
- IBM’s integrated end-to-end scoring system - IBM technology drives the live scores that are broadcast around the world, along with other real-time data such as match statistics and the radar speed of serves.
- Mobile - the official Australian Open iPhone app, Android app and mobile website are built and powered by IBM, providing live scores, radio, Twitter feeds, schedules and draws. The mobiles apps were downloaded more than 1 million times during the 2013 tournament.
- New in 2014 - iPad app - the app allows fans to follow their favourite players and show their support through social media – as well as track how popular they are, thanks to IBM’s Social Sentiment analytics solution.
- IBM predictive cloud provisioning - IBM technology automatically assigns the computing power required by the Australian Open website based on real-time analytics of the tournament schedule, player popularity, historical data and social media conversations.
- Australian Open Social Leaderboard- updated every few minutes, this website feature tracks the positive and negative sentiment for players on social media. Fans can help their favourite players move up the ranks by ‘liking’ or tweeting favourably about a player.
- Scoring system - Vital scoring information is displayed via IBM’s integrated end-to-end scoring system, which makes live scores available around Melbourne Park and the world as they happen.
- Speed serve and radar - Courtside radar captures exact serve speeds, which are immediately transmitted to the IBM scoring database and displayed courtside.
- Chair Umpire Solution (CHUMP) and match statistics - Each chair umpire uses a mobile device to directly capture each point, game and set from the court. Courtside statisticians record vital information and the information is then sent in real time to the IBM Scoring System.
By: IBM Press Releases
Link: http://www-03.ibm.com/press/au/en/pressrelease/42932.wss
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