The US Open—now underway—draws millions of tennis enthusiasts from all over the world for two intense weeks of non-stop world-class tennis action. Brian O’Connell, Software Engineer and Master Inventor, IBM, provides a behind-the-scenes peek at the technology supporting the event in his new blog:
Fans are watching events unfold not only at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, New York, but also through an integrated online, mobile and social experience delivering real-time play-by-play action, live video streaming and live match scores and statistics, ensuring that every fan experiences the thrill and excitement on center court. I am proud to say that for more than 20 years, the US Open is relying on IBM as the end-to-end IT provider to enable and deliver this interactive experience though a myriad of fan-facing technologies.
Understanding that it is not possible for all tennis fans to make it to New York for the matches, it is a priority for the USTA (United States Tennis Association), the governing board for tennis in the United States, to provide content and information to them any way they want at any time of day or night. To support the USTA’s goal, IBM delivers the US Open experience to fans through the digital platform, and maintains uninterrupted availability of service throughout the event. Read on.