IBM has refreshed its Android and iOS apps, and will debut a host of enhanced analytics and social media capabilities for the 2014 Wimbledon Championships.
Alexandra Willis, content and communications manager at Wimbledon, explained the All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC) wants fans to get an immersive experience regardless of whether they are using the website or mobile applications.
"We wanted to create a clean and beautiful experienceto give our users the ability to say I'm most interested in this today'," Willis said at the launch event.
Mobile users can download the apps across iPads, iPhones or Android devices from today and get a curated feed based on their favourite events (singles/doubles/mens/womens), players or countries when the tournament starts.
You'll receive content in a live, personalised feed.
IBM will also introduce a Social Command Centre this year. Powered by its SoftLayer cloud technology this will allow the AELTC to see which topics and matches are being discussed, allowing it to tailor content for its website.
The opinions of those sitting on the much-loved Henman Hill will now be pulled together via a social media hub. The thoughts of those inside the ground will be compared with the rest of the world via Twitter. Questions will be flashed up on the big screen during games and answers will the shown in the format of #Hill vs #The World.
A myriad of interesting information will also be available to viewers via this hub including heat maps, photos and key player facts.
Using the algorithms, the AELTC will also be able to analyse the brand sentiment in real-time, so it can engage with fans.
Meanwhile, IBM's Watson platform will capture relevant data from multiple sources including tablets, smartphones and desktops to predict traffic to Wimbledon.com.
The website typically spikes to 20 million page views during the tournament and every 90 minutes, IBM will monitor usage, explained Sam Seddon, Wimbledon client & program executive for IBM. This will ensure that IBM dedicates an optimal level of resources from its three datacentres in North America to ensure uptime and retain cost efficiency.
For the first time BBC commentators will also be able to analyse "aggressive play" and viewers will see 3D graphics on Centre Court matches.
