Wimbledon and IBM — A Perfect Partnership
An overview of the relationship between the All England Club and IBM
Wimbledon, Engl (June 05, 1998) – Wimbledon is acknowledged to be the premier tennis championships in the world and the only Grand Slam still played on grass. The first priority of the All England Club, which hosts ‘The Championships’, is to maintain its leadership and make Wimbledon ever more appealing to its world-wide audience.
As Official Information Technology Supplier and Consultant, IBM has been helping the Club meet this goal since 1990, when the world’s largest computer company made its debut at Wimbledon.
Since then, IBM has brought up-to-the second scores and results to a global audience continuing to help increase Wimbledon’s status in the sporting calendar.
In recent years, IBM’s e-business solutions have helped create one of the most respected and dynamic sporting Web sites on the Internet. Not only is it possible to follow every match during The Fortnight thanks to a constantly updated results system, you can now buy Wimbledon merchandise from the Club’s on-line shop.
For many, IBM’s most visible contribution to Wimbledon is the TV graphics service which is relayed to a billion homes around the world. This tailor-made service provides key match facts straight to viewers’ screens incorporating details of player biographies, statistic and scores.
The information posted on the Web site and the TV graphics service are both generated from The Championships Information System (CIS), designed and developed by IBM in conjunction with the Club. It is at the heart of IBM’s service and makes it possible to provide exciting, up-to-the-second match statistics and information for players, public, press and commentators.
But IBM doesn’t just supply its technology solutions during The Championships. IBM provides year-round support and expertise to the Club supplying vital back-office functions which all help to meet the goals set for the 21st century.
“IBM plays a vital supporting role at Wimbledon each year,” said Chris Gorringe, Chief Executive of the All England Club. “Its contribution is substantial and as we approach the new millennium, Wimbledon is fully embracing solutions made possible by information technology.
“The development of the Club’s Web site has created a completely new way for people to experience Wimbledon and the site’s global audience has grown every year since it was launched in 1995.
“Thanks to this new technology, we can publish scores point by point and offer merchandise for sale from our on-line shop.”
In effect, Wimbledon operates much like an e-business by interlinking its different systems to operate in one seamless electronic world. Not only is merchandise being sold on the Web, information is being shared to create a truly digital working environment and it’s a working pattern that is being replicated by companies and organisations all over the world.
Source: IBM