Indian technology consultancy firm Infosys has agreed to a three-year deal with the Australian Open tennis tournament to become the event’s official strategic tech partner. Infosys replaces IBM, which served as the technology partner to the Australian Open for 24 years before that contract was terminated in October 2017.
Infosys will apply new technologies within augmented reality, virtual reality, and big data analytics to enhance the fan experience according to an official press release.
“From the point of view of the fans they should be looking forward to a much more immersive experience of the Australian Open, a very interactive way where they can personalise the way they’re getting information, what they’re viewing and the way they’re engaging with the Australian Open in various ways,” said Infosys Australia and New Zealand regional head Andrew Groth, according to the Australian Financial Review.
Neither Infosys nor the Australian Open have confirmed specifics relating to how technology will be implemented at the grand slam tournament, set to commence Jan. 14 in Melbourne. Infosys could feature similar technology to what the company has developed as part of its ongoing partnership with the ATP tour.
That partnership, launched in 2015, has leveraged the artificial intelligence platform Infosys Nia to develop Infosys ATP Beyond the Numbers, an analytics app that measures player performance. It also resulted in the release of the PlayerZone app, an extranet portal for ATP players, their support teams, and coaches to communicate about details related to life on tour.