SINGAPORE, Oct. 21, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- SAP SE (NYSE:
SAP) together with the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) today
announced a breakthrough technology innovation to allow coaches to
bring a WTA-authorized mobile device onto the court during a
coaching break and use real-time data insights to analyze player
performance for WTA games. Developed by SAP as a custom-built
solution using core SAP technology based on requirements of the WTA
and its players, the WTA coaching app, which has been used this
season by players and coaches post-match to prepare for future
games, will be available for use by the WTA when the athletes call
their coaches on-court during matches in the 2015 WTA Season. The
announcement was made at the 2014 BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore
presented by SC Global taking place at Singapore Sports Hub, where
SAP is an official sponsor.
On-court coaching was originally introduced by the WTA in 2008
as a broadcasting initiative offering fans an inside look at the
strategy between players and coaches. SAP worked very closely with
WTA players and coaches in the development of this app to ensure
that the data and analytics gathered will help them better engage
by providing players and coaches with a tool to have insights about
match performance live during a match.
"We believe that technology will play a major role in
modernizing our sport, delivering more to our fans without altering
the integrity of the game," said Stacey
Allaster, CEO and chairman, WTA. "Tennis is a data-driven
sport and information is power. Many of our matches usually come
down to just a few key points and any advantage that players and
coaches can gain by analyzing trends and data could deliver and
edge in the match. This technology sets a new standard for women's
tennis and we're excited to work with SAP to innovate our sport and
provide state-of-the-art resources to enhance our athletes'
performances and our fans' experiences."
Currently, WTA players and coaches receive post-match
point-by-point analysis from SAP that allows them to visualize the
subtle technique variations that players use throughout a match,
helping them to analyze performance. Over the course of the 2014
WTA season, SAP technology experts worked closely with coaches and
players to identify what information was essential to create a
powerful analytics solution to optimize performance. As a result of
this co-innovation approach, SAP developed a simple and engaging
app to enable players and coaches to access key performance data
such as serve direction and shot placement in real-time during
match play.
"These statistics on the coaching app will make my job easier
and advice more accurate during a match," said Wim Fissette, WTA Coach.
In addition to the coaching tool, SAP developed the official WTA
Finals mobile app to provide fans around the world with access to
exclusive content, news, virtual replays, fan polls, statistics,
player profiles and photos, along with ticketing and tournament
information. Fans in Singapore
will also be able to experience a Social Media Wall in the Fan
Zone, allowing them to follow all activities around the WTA Finals
on social media as well as the SAP Match Center, where attendees
can track their favorite players' insights and performance.
"We're very fortunate to collaborate with an enthusiastic player
and coach community to develop breakthrough technology to improve
player performance and to simplify how the WTA engages with fans,"
said Stefan Wagner, general manager,
Media, Sports and Entertainment Industries, SAP. "The addition of
this new coaching app completes what we've been doing from a
post-match analysis by making the data available in real time to
provide deeper insights during match play."
Over the last few years, SAP has increased the company's focus
to help transform the media, sports and entertainment industries
with innovative technology to improve team and player performance,
increase fan engagement and simplify league and venue operations.
Today, SAP is successfully collaborating with a number of
well-known sports organizations and associations in sailing, golf,
Formula 1 racing, cricket, American football, baseball, tennis,
basketball and football.
For more information, visit the SAP News Center. Follow SAP
on Twitter at @sapnews.
About WTA
The WTA is the global leader in women's
professional sport with more than 2,500 players representing 92
nations competing for a record $118
million in prize money at the WTA's 54 events and four Grand
Slams in 33 countries. Close to 5.4 million people attended women's
tennis events in 2013 with millions more watching on television and
digital channels around the world. The 2014 WTA competitive season
concludes with the WTA Championships in Singapore, October
17-26, 2014 and the Garanti Koza Tournament of Champions in
Sofia, Bulgaria, October 28-November 2, 2014. Further information
on the WTA can be found at www.wtatennis.com; facebook.com/WTA and
twitter.com/WTA.
About SAP
As market leader in enterprise application
software, SAP (NYSE: SAP) helps companies of all sizes and
industries run better. From back office to boardroom, warehouse to
storefront, desktop to mobile device – SAP empowers people and
organizations to work together more efficiently and use business
insight more effectively to stay ahead of the competition. SAP
applications and services enable more than 263,000 customers to
operate profitably, adapt continuously, and grow sustainably. For
more information, visit www.sap.com.
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For customers interested in learning more about SAP
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Global Customer Center: +49 180 534-34-24
United States Only: 1 (800) 872-1SAP (1-800-872-1727)
For more information, press only:
Evan Welsh, SAP, +1 (610) 203-9742,
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Bonnie Rothenstein, +1 (610)
661-8867, bonnie.rothenstein@sap.com, EDT
SAP News Center press room; press@sap.com
Heather Bowler, WTA, +44.
78.8596.6355, hbowler@wtatennis.com, GMT
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