Developed with jTribe and Flink Labs, the app operates as an interactive programme to the event, providing facilities such as the ability for stars to use a finger to ‘sign’ autographs, which can then be collated and shared with friends.
Official technology partner of the Open since 1993, IBM is selling the product via Apple’s AppStore.
Created with Tennis Australia to give ‘real-time’ access to match, tournament and venue information, it provides content such as latest news, scores, player tweets, schedules, weather updates, ticket information and video highlights.
Fans can follow stars’ comments via social media outlets and gather autographs, which can then be saved and emailed to friends.
Sarah Cole, IBM’s Australian Open project lead, says fans will be able to bring information together from a range of sources, and design their own Australian Open experience: “By integrating user-generated content from social media with live data streams from both on and off the tennis courts, IBM has helped Tennis Australia build greater fan engagement, and significantly enhance the Australian Open brand in front of a global audience,” she says.
IBM also operates websites, an iPhone app, the scoring system, courtside radar, and the chair umpire solution (CHUMP) at the Open, as well as other facilities.
See the IBM Open app