Client News

How Wimbledon is keeping its eye on the ball with IBM tech

Our client IBM has been the official technology partner of Wimbledon for more than 30 years, analysing every shot and more at world famous the All England Tennis Club.  

Silicon Republic recently visited Wimbledon during the championship tennis to see first-hand the longstanding partnership between the world’s oldest technology company and the world’s oldest tennis tournament. 

Vish Gain visited Wimbledon to get a sneak peek of how IBM is using data and AI to help the tennis tournament engage with fans in its ‘pursuit of greatness’. 

“It’s not every day that you get to visit Wimbledon and walk around its hallowed courts during the tournament. An even rarer cohort of individuals gets to visit the underground bunkers where the behind-the-scenes action happens. I was lucky enough to do both last week. 

Walking into the premises of the world’s oldest and most prestigious tennis tournament, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I’d watched Wimbledon matches growing up, but witnessing one live was a different ball game altogether, excuse the pun. 

But my trip to Wimbledon wasn’t just about watching the action as it happened, but to dig deeper. And by digging deeper, I mean visiting the underground data rooms run by Wimbledon’s technology partner, IBM. 

IBM has been a tech partner of Wimbledon since 1990. Since then, the two have been linked inextricably, trying to innovate new ways of engaging Wimbledon’s worldwide audience and using technology to live up to its motto: ‘In pursuit of greatness.’ 

Data analysis, automation and artificial intelligence are just some of the technologies developed by IBM and its partners that are being deployed to make watching Wimbledon, both in-person and from afar, a more meaningful experience. 

“It all starts with the data,” Kevin Farrar, IBM UK sports partnerships lead, told me. “We’ve built this platform of innovation with the club to turn massive amounts of data into engaging and meaningful insights for the fans.” 

Farrar works with a team of experts who, in collaboration with other technology partners, collect and process the immense amounts of data generated throughout the tournament. 

“We’re collecting the test stats. There’s the direction of serve, how the ball is returned, backhand or forehand, the rally count, how the point is won, if it’s a forced or unforced error,” he whispered to me in a room full of experts wearing headphones watching the matches closely. 

This information is collected from thousands of data points, which are then combined with data from other sources, such as Hawk-Eye’s electronic line-calling technology, to produce meaningful insights that are fed into the Wimbledon website and to global broadcasters. 

Wimbledon and the IBM Power Index 

The fruit of this behind-the-scenes work by IBM is best displayed on Wimbledon’s official website, where live updates on matches are combined with AI-powered match insights to make the sport exciting for those not within the premises. 

This year, for example, has seen the introduction of the IBM Power Index, an AI-powered daily ranking of player momentum before and during Wimbledon. Using Watson, IBM’s powerful natural language processing system, the Power Index analyses player performance, media commentary and other factors to quantify momentum. 

“A lot of people just watch tennis once a year – they watch Wimbledon. They’ll know the big names, but they won’t necessarily know the upcoming players. The Power Index gives a mechanism for them to sort of identify players that are hot at the moment,” Farrar said. 

Users of the Wimbledon website or smartphone app can view the Power Index and click on any player they find interesting and want to keep an eye on. They can track the player’s progress and get personalised updates based on what or who they’re interested in. 

“It’s an algorithm that takes both structured data and unstructured data,” Farrar explained. “The structured data is the scores and match results. But it’s also looking at the media buzz through trusted data sources, to see what the media is saying about the players.” 

The Sherlock-like Watson (although named after early IBM CEO Thomas Watson) is also able to use vast amounts of data and expert input to predict which of the two players in any given match has a higher chance of winning. Fans on the app can weigh in too and see how far they stand from the AI estimate. 

Serving the fans 

Farrar said the reason IBM is doing all this is to engage with fans interested in both technical details as well as the “drama and beauty of it all” through a visual experience. In the 2021 championships, Wimbledon reached approximately 18m people through its digital platforms. 

“Sports fans love debate. So, putting something out there in terms of a prediction that Watson has come up with, they’ll have their own views and their own win factors in their mind. It’s about engaging the fans in that social debate and asking them, ‘Well, what do you think?’” 

For Deborah Threadgold, IBM Ireland country manager, the relationship between Wimbledon and IBM is a great example of what the company’s strategy is all around. 

“When you look at the data piece, when you look at the automation piece, and the security and how it is all sitting on that platform, and how that’s allowing them to innovate, then that’s exactly what IBM brings to all of our clients,” Threadgold told me. 

“So even here in Ireland, whether you’re in the sporting industry, or much more broadly, whether you’re in financial services, public sector, whatever it may be, all of those tools and those mechanisms, you can actually reimagine how that works into your own industry.” 

Of the four cornerstone annual tennis tournaments, Wimbledon is by far the most traditional with the richest history. It has been played since 1877 at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in London. 

“Our challenges here is to get that balance right between the tradition and heritage of the club, and the way they present themselves with technology and innovation,” Farrar said. “The brand is very important to them, and we make sure that that remains the case while still innovating every year.” “

 

 

 

A global first for Ireland with launch of Riot games’ remote broadcast centre set to reach a worldwide audience of 145 million

Riot Games, the most player-focused game developer and publisher in the world, has expanded its footprint in Dublin with an official opening for the first of three Remote Broadcast Centres (RBCs) making up Project Stryker, an innovative approach to global broadcast production powered by Amazon Web Services (AWS) that will transform live esports productions on a global scale.   

Based in Swords, the European headquarters for Riot’s Project Stryker is the culmination of an €18.5 million investment by the world’s leading esports company that will increase capacity for Riot’s esports content and events while also lowering operational costs, and ensure top-tier quality and consistency across all esports productions, delivering a best-in-class viewing experience to 145 million fans around the world.  

At the opening on Wednesday 20th of July , Riot Games announced Project Stryker will employ a further 120 people in addition to its 165 employees in Ireland.    

The esports industry is expanding rapidly with current projections that the sector will hit almost *€1.7 billion in 2022.   

John Needham, President of Esports at Riot Games said, “This is truly an exciting day for Riot Games and the future of esports. Project Stryker has come a long way from a visionary concept three years in the making to this incredible state-of-the-art creative space that further extends Riot’s footprint in the city and showcases the deep ties to entertainment and innovation found in Dublin. We could not have selected a better location for our European headquarters for Project Stryker.”   

Three years in development, the Dublin RBC of Project Stryker serves as a central broadcasting hub for both regional and global live esports productions across Riot’s trio of esports titles: League of Legends Esports (LoL Esports), VALORANT Esports, and Wild Rift Esports. Broadcast feeds from live esports competitions happening around the world can be sent to the Dublin RBC where the content is produced, broadcast, and distributed in multiple languages. Ireland is the first of just three global locations chosen by Riot Games as the location for Project Stryker RBCs. The country is ideally placed as the European HQ for Project Stryker due to the quality of its infrastructure, position in the European market, talent pool and strategic location as part of the esports global ecosystem.  

The Remote Broadcast Model offers efficiency in terms of lower operational costs and guarantees a standard of broadcast quality across all content. Under a “follow the sun” approach, the RBCs will facilitate the production and broadcast of esports content 24 hours per day, 7 days per week.   

Located at the former Wright Venue in Swords, regarded as one of Dublin’s most iconic entertainment establishments, Project Stryker can provide over 230,000 production hours annually for broadcast production, engineering, event, audio, graphic design and esports professionals. The RBC is Riot’s second footprint in Dublin, joining its City Centre office that employs 165 individuals specialising in business operations, development, engineering, localisation, and information security.   

The 6,000-plus square metre facility is equipped with six control rooms to enable it to broadcast six live events (at an event scale each similar to the Super Bowl    ) simultaneously across multiple time zones. Content is edited in real-time, and each broadcast is also translated into the local language, depending on the country in which it is being broadcast.   

Allyson Gormley, General Manager, Project Stryker said,   

“Project Stryker is a ground-breaking next-generation project that will revolutionise how content is produced and broadcast. The quality of the technologies and the model adopted is a game-changer. Three years in the making, Project Stryker is the culmination of a commitment by Riot Games to continuous innovation and to provide the best possible playing and viewing experience for our fans.  

“There has been a tremendous growth in esports, which requires a similar level of skills, commitment, and dedication to what one could call “traditional sports.” The entertainment value, the opportunity for connection and to be part of something bigger are among the primary factors driving the popularity of esports.   

“Dublin is now at the forefront of a new frontier and the team will be part of an exciting new chapter in live broadcasting. Our always-on 24 entertainment broadcast model reflects the changing needs and desires of audiences”   

“Dublin is an ideal location to support this growth- with an exceptional talent pool, ease of doing business and key strategic position making it the perfect hub for the first of the Riot Games trio of RBCs. The skills required as part of the esports industry are many and the creation of 120 plus roles in Dublin, adding to our existing workforce, reflects the commitment of Riot Games and Project Stryker to Ireland.” 

Ericsson to hire 250 at its R&D Campus in Athlone to support 5G growth and continued investment in Cloud Technologies

Káno Communications recently worked with global telecommunications giant Ericsson as it announced plans to hire an additional 250 staff at its Irish Research and Development Centre in Athlone, in support of the company’s ongoing development of innovative cloud-native products that orchestrate, automate and power its global 5G portfolio.

One of Ireland’s largest employers within software development, Ericsson has had a R&D presence in Athlone since 1979. The Athlone facility, which is the global R&D headquarters of Ericsson Digital Services OSS (Operations Support Systems), currently employs 1200 people, with an additional 200 staff at its Dublin base.

Denis Dullea, Head of Research and Development at Ericsson Athlone said: “This announcement underscores our global reputation as a world-class R&D software development centre. Our team here already play a critical role in the development of Ericsson products, services and solutions that enable Ericsson to deliver limitless connectivity that makes the unimaginable possible.

“We are hiring an additional 250 software developers, engineers and architects with cloud-native skills to enhance our capability to deliver the benefits of cloud-native technologies to our global customer base via our RAN, Management, Automation and Orchestration offerings.”
Mr Dullea added: “The investment is also good news for Athlone and the wider Midlands region, where Ericsson is one of the largest employers. With strong ongoing partnerships with the IDA, the Irish Government and the recently established Technological University of the Shannon
(TUS), we are excited to continue attracting and nurturing the best and brightest Irish and international talent to the heart of Ireland.”

Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade & Employment, Leo Varadkar TD said: “This is really great news. Ericsson is expanding further, adding 250 new jobs to the 1400 the company already employs here. These new jobs are in new areas in cloud-native technologies, providing some really exciting opportunities for the Midlands. It truly is a vote of confidence in Athlone and Ireland as a whole that such an internationally renowned company has chosen to make this investment. Thank you to Ericsson for their continuing commitment to our country and the Irish-based team who I know were crucial in the decision to bring this investment to Ireland.”

Minister of State with responsibility for Trade Promotion, Digital and Company Regulation Robert Troy TD said: “I am delighted with Ericsson’s announcement to add 250 roles at its R&D Campus in Athlone. These highly skilled roles in software development, engineering and cloud technologies are a very welcome development for the region and this expansion reaffirms the Midlands as a centre of excellence in the ICT sector and cloud technology. Ericsson is a well-established presence here in Athlone and its continued success and investment in its R&D Campus is a testament to the fact that Westmeath, and indeed the Midlands as a whole is a great place to do business. I want to wish the staff in Ericsson all the very best in this exciting new chapter.”

Kano’s Corporate Communications team worked with Ericsson to amplify this announcement, securing widespread coverage at a national, international and local level, including RTE (TV, Radio & Online), Irish Times, Irish Independent, Silicon Republic, Tech Radar and many more.

 

 

Client News: Iceland Ireland Cracks Easter With Giant Creme Egg Dessert

It’s a crackin’ time at Káno client Iceland Ireland this Easter, with everything shoppers need to have a truly egg-cellent time this holiday. Let’s be honest, Easter is all about the sweet treats and Iceland Ireland have it cracked this year with the launch of the exclusive Cadbury Creme Egg dessert.

The supersized Cadbury Creme Egg Dessert makes chocoholics and fans of this iconic little egg dreams through! Dinner guests will be rushing to the kitchen to grab a spoon to break open the smooth, creamy, and iconic Cadbury’s Creme Egg. Hidden inside is the sweet white chocolate mousse which surrounds everybody’s favourite part, the classic creme egg fondant in the centre.

The supersized Cadbury Creme Egg Dessert and Iceland Ireland’s entire Easter range is available in all 27 stores nationwide.

BEYOND COOL: ANGEL DELIGHT LAUNCH SOFT SERVE ICE CREAM TUBS

For the first time ever, the classic dessert brand is launching two soft serve flavours including Strawberry and Butterscotch. Exclusive to Iceland Ireland, Angel Delight flavours available now across all 27 stores nationwide. With Easter just around the corner, these new tasty additions are set to be a hit!

The new ice cream has been inspired by the famous airy texture of the original nostalgic mousse-like dessert, which was first sold back in 1967. Available in Strawberry and Butterscotch flavours, the 800ml tubs are designed for sharing and are sure to please ice cream fans who can pick up a tub for just €4.50.

Emma Murphy, Marketing Manager at Iceland, said: “We are delighted to bring yet another iconic brand to our freezers, Angel Delight. We’re confident customers will be heading straight to Iceland’s ice cream freezers to take a trip down memory lane and try out those old-time favourite flavours once again.”

Nestlé Ireland renew charity partnership with Dublin Simon Community

Nestlé Ireland has renewed its partnership with Dublin Simon Community, which offers services and supports to people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness in Dublin, Wicklow, Kildare, Meath, Louth, Cavan and Monaghan.

The partnership will involve the donation of Nestlé food and beverage products to support the work of Dublin Simon Community in delivering emergency accommodation and long-term housing for individuals and families. In 2020, Dublin Simon assisted over 7,600 families and individuals with over 1,900 securing short-term accommodation with or due to Dublin Simon support or referrals.

Over the last number of years, Nestlé Ireland has provided over 4 million cups of Nescafé coffee and 200,000 KitKat bars to support Dublin Simon across a range of service delivery to people in need of emergency and long-term accommodation. Kieran Conroy, Nestlé Ireland Country Manager said that “Nestlé is proud to support Simon’s work in the heart of the community where it helps those who are homeless or at risk through providing medical treatment, recovery, counselling and other vital services”.

Sam McGuinness, CEO Dublin Simon acknowledged Nestlé’s ongoing commitment to Dublin Simon’s vision to make home a reality, commenting “as a vital supporter of our Food for Simon programme, Nestlé Ireland has provided our clients, residents and services with essential products, leading to significant cost-savings of over €250,000 which have allowed us to focus funding on the life-saving housing, treatment and key working services that need it most”.