English Premier League football club Manchester United has secured what it describes as a “groundbreaking” global partnership deal with IT services company HCL Technologies.
Under the agreement, HCL will work with United on developing a number of digital initiatives.
To kick off the partnership, HCL will create a state-of-the-art United Xperience Lab to be situated within the club’s Old Trafford stadium, which will make it the seventh such lab across the world. Within the lab, HCL and United will explore innovative ways in which the club uses technology and offer special experiences for fans.
“Our partnership with HCL is a first for Manchester United,” the club’s group managing director, Richard Arnold, said. “With the introduction of the United Xperience lab at Old Trafford, we hope to demonstrate best practices within the industry to generate new ideas that leverage the latest technology available in the evolving digital landscape.
“It is a very exciting prospect and the possibilities of what we can achieve are endless. Through digital transformation we hope to change the way in which our fans experience and interact with Manchester United. Together with HCL we aim to develop innovative ways to connect with our fans around the world, providing a blueprint for other global organisations.”
HCL president and chief executive Anant Gupta added: “This partnership is unique and creates value not just for Manchester United and its fans, but also for all forward-looking organisations across the world.
“With enterprises facing an explosion of digital content and experience interfaces there is a growing need for a partner who can orchestrate these value chains and harness them for business benefits. Our partnership will enable HCL to create and manage these digital assets at a scale which will make it a prototype for successful digital co-innovation in any industry/organisation in the world.”