Dimension Data And SAP Form Strategic Alliance to Provide Technology to the Sport and Entertainment Industries

ORLANDO, Fla.--()--Dimension Data’s Sports Practice, and the Sports and Entertainment division of SAP SE today announced the establishment of a strategic partnership to provide the sport and entertainment industry with a world-leading technology solution.

Dimension Data’s Sports Practice currently offers technology solutions across key ‘pillars’ of sport, including the Connected Stadium, Connected Fan, and Connected Athlete. Initially, SAP and Dimension Data will focus on delivering live stadium solutions to clients, and over time the partnership will expand to support fan engagement, improving elite athlete performance, and powering digital transformation for clubs, teams, governing bodies and the wider sports ecosystem.

Scott Gibson, Dimension Data’s Group Executive - Digital Practice said while the global sports industry is big business, it continues to still grow in the digital age. As this growth accelerates, so more technology is being incorporated into a digitally-driven experience – from participation to administration. And as more technology is introduced into sport, so the viewership, popularity, and ultimately revenue, increases.

“Dimension Data and the NTT Group have a global strategic partnership with SAP in all countries in the world and across many verticals – it was a natural step for us to combine our Sports and Entertainment expertise so that we could offer an end-to-end technology solutions for clients.”

Dimension Data has been providing technology solutions for major sports events for many years. These include stadiums for the 2010 Football World Cup, and the 2014 World Cup tournaments in South Africa and Brazil, and the SAP Arena in Mannheim. In 2015, Dimension Data was appointed the Official Technology Partner for Amaury Sport Organisation (A.S.O.) which owns the Tour de France. Dimension Data is also the technology partner to the Absa Cape Epic.

Stefan Wagner, SVP - Global General Manager, Sports & Entertainment, SAP SE said, “Partnering with Dimension Data and the NTT Group enables us to expand our product and solutions offering to the Sport and Entertainment industry, and provide our clients with a complete end-to-end solution.”

Gibson believes that the future of fan experiences around live sporting events is not just about interactive score boards and better access to video replays. Athlete’s performance can be tracked, monitored, displayed and analyzed both in and out of the stadium. “We’ll see the stadium experience evolve beyond a fan sitting in a seat watching a ball game, or watching a cycling race from the top of a hill. Technologies such as virtual and augmented reality will give fans unprecedented live event experiences, whether they’re sitting at the event, or are thousands of miles away. This is where mobility and infrastructure technologies will be crucial, and where our evolving Connected Stadium solution will play a critical role in reinventing the fan experience across a broad range of sports.”

Wagner agrees: “No sport can survive without fans, because that’s where sports revenue is. Fans are no longer satisfied with simply viewing sport from a distance and on the sidelines. They want to be close to all the action, and want to know every detail of their heroes, and participate in conversations with other fans. Dimension Data, SAP and NTT Group are well-positioned to take advantage of this fast-growing trend through our and Live Venue technology.”

Dimension Data and SAP will be demonstrating their joint capabilities with a Live Stadium exhibit at booth #519 at SAPPHIRE NOW and ASUG Annual Conference in Orlando from May 16-18, 2017.

-ENDS-

About SAP’s Sport and Entertainment Business
SAP SE is a world-leading provider for company software that supports over 300,000 customers in 25 industries with its innovative technology to operate profitably, continuously adapt to new requirements, and grow sustainably. With SAP solutions, sports and entertainment organizations are driving world-class innovation to engage fans like never before, improve player and team performance, maximize revenue streams, and help teams, leagues, and venues run simply.

SAP, SuccessFactors and other SAP products and services mentioned herein as well as their respective logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of SAP SE (or an SAP affiliate company) in Germany and other countries. See http://www.sap.com/corporate-en/legal/copyright/index.epx for additional trademark information and notices. All other product and service names mentioned are the trademarks of their respective companies.

Contacts

Dimension Data Digital & Sports Practice
Emmeline Bester, Tel: M +2783 680 7237
Marketing Manager & Strategic Projects
emmeline.bester@dimensiondata.com
or
SAP SE
Lynda Köhler, Tel: M +49 151 67834208
Marketing & Communications| SAP for Sports & Entertainment
lynda.koehler@sap.com

Release Summary

Dimension Data and SAP form strategic Alliance to provide technology to the Sport and Entertainment industries.

Contacts

Dimension Data Digital & Sports Practice
Emmeline Bester, Tel: M +2783 680 7237
Marketing Manager & Strategic Projects
emmeline.bester@dimensiondata.com
or
SAP SE
Lynda Köhler, Tel: M +49 151 67834208
Marketing & Communications| SAP for Sports & Entertainment
lynda.koehler@sap.com