US Open 2008

How do you fit millions of fans into a court that only holds 22,500?

IBM SlamTracker gives fans a virtual seat at every match in the tournament. Millions of viewers from over the world can use SlamTracker to follow all active matches at the tournament.

You may also be interested in:

• How do you get fans up close and personal with players without disrupting the match?
• How do you find out what fans really want from the tournament?

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How do you get fans up close and personal with players without disrupting the match?

Each year IBM works with the USTA to create and host the official tournament Web site. A major attraction for many fans is myUSOpen where they can customize their tournament experience to get the most from every match. After choosing up to five of their favorite players, they can follow their progress with stats, scores, match results, interviews and news stories. Plus, they can customize the content section to get just the information they want. It’s an effective way for US Open to engage with fans and generate a sense of participation.

You may also be interested in:

• How do you increase engagement with your brand?
• How do you find out what fans really want from the tournament?

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How do you deliver scores as fast as the balls are served?

IBM delivers an integrated scoring solution, providing statistical graphics to broadcasters and match data for the official website, powered by IBM WebSphere and DB2. This information can flash around the world in seconds. It’s an inspiration for the growing number of organizations that need to have information immediately available.

You may also be interested in:

• How do you keep your eye on the ball when it’s travelling at 155 mph?
• How do you capture every shot players make?

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How do you keep your eye on the ball when it’s travelling at 155 mph?

For fans and players who need to know how fast the balls are served, IBM provides the Speed-of-Serve Radar. Radar guns behind the server record the ball’s speed within inches of it leaving the racket. The information flashes onto courtside screens in under a second, reaching the official Web site and the world’s TV screens a second or two later. Immediate access to information like this is key to many organizations – and vital when everything hangs on a split second.

More on IBM scoring solutions.

• IBM WebSphere Business Integration Message Broker enables real-time score distribution using a robust publish/subscribe message broker. This publishes real-time scores to HTML pages and the IBM SlamTracker application without the need to refresh the whole page. Only the changed scores are distributed, speeding up the response time for page downloads while lowering demands on bandwidth and reducing Web site infrastructure costs.
• DB2 UDB for Linux, UNIX, and Windows tallies on-site scores and generates match statistics, complete with live scores, draws, completed matches and player biographies.

You may also be interested in:

• How do you capture every shot players make?
• How do you deliver scores as fast as the balls are served?

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How do you help the world’s best players play even better?

IBM helps players and coaches analyze their performance with the IBM Match Analysis DVD that is produced and delivered to the players after their match. This gives a point-by-point replay and comes with a searchable video index, so they can view specific shots. It’s a powerful way for players to analyze performance, spot weaknesses (theirs and their opponent’s) and develop their game – a good example of how IBM helps US Open visualize data to offer valuable insights and sharpen its competitive edge.

• IBM Global Business Services - Programming and application development
• SystemX x346 - implemented for faster encoding and better performance

You may also be interested in:

• How do you get fans up close and personal with players without disrupting the match?
• How do you keep your eye on the ball when it’s travelling at 155 mph?

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How do you capture every shot players make?

Accurate courtside information on the speed and every stroke is vital for players - and fascinating for avid fans. That’s why IBM has created a symbol handheld device that can capture the scores immediately form the court. The information goes directly to statisticians that feed the scoring network.

You may also be interested in:

• How do you deliver scores as fast as the balls are served?
• How do you help the world’s best players play even better?

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How do you find out what fans want from the tournament?

Fans talk most freely about matches and players when they talk to other fans. At USOpen.org they get the opportunity to swap views and comment on news reports and photos. This increases fans’ affinity with the site and the brand; it also draws new visitors to the site and extends the tournament’s appeal to a wider audience.

You may also be interested in:

• How do you get fans up close and personal with players without disrupting the match?
• How do you increase engagement with your brand?

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How do you increase engagement with your brand?

When fans visit US Open.org and social networking sites at tournament time, they find an IBM developed widget designed to give them a richer, more individual experience of the tournament. The widget will offer fans the ability to view scores, statistics, schedule, news, and more from their desktop. Simple but informative widgets like these extend the tournament’s digital presence and engage fans that may never visit the official site.

Fans can also follow the US Open on their phones by getting access to the USOpen.org content.

To download the widget from US Open.org, click here.

To follow the US Open on your phone, click here.

You may also be interested in:

• How do you find out what fans really want from the tournament?
• How do you fit millions of fans into a court that only holds 22,500?

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