On The Cutting Edge: Dell UK

Tim Griffin, Vice President and Managing Director, Dell UK talks #CuttingEdgeSport.

What are you most excited about in the sport industry in the next twelve months? 

I’m a huge rugby fan, coaching in my spare time and watching games whenever I get a moment, so I’m really excited about the 2015 Rugby World Cup. Coming from a Welsh background and having studied in Cardiff, my loyalties are with the Wales team but it will be interesting to see how the England, Wales rivalry pans out. Once England’s first choice players return from injury I think they’ll be back on form and have a really strong team in place – and of course it would be great for their fans to see a win on home soil. However, Welsh fans are among the most passionate I’ve met and I’m sure they’ll be joining me in spurring on the team to an excellent performance. One thing is for sure, I’ll certainly be getting my ticket in early for the Twickenham game.

Where could innovation take sport next? 

Sport is constantly evolving and I think we’ll see a wealth of new and exciting innovations in 2015 – many which have been in development for some time but are only now starting to enter the mainstream (e.g. wearable technology.) Anything that can help enhance an athlete’s performance and put them ahead of their competitors is really interesting and I see a lot more investment happening in that space. For example, I recently read about computerised “smart rackets” which feedback to players and coaches’ technical data on every ball struck and are expected to be used in some of the major games next year.

I’m sure goal line technology will also have even more of an impact in 2015. The introduction of this technology at the FIFA World Cup finals caused headlines even before the tournament had begun, but ultimately I believe it really does lead to a better game. I think over the next 12 months we’ll see more major leagues and clubs start to adopt the technology and as a result, the game overall will become a lot fairer.

One area we’re focused on at Dell is ensuring the security is in place to protect the increase in analytical and sports data that’s happening across the industry. From performance data being sent from athletes to coaches, to spectator’s personal data being shared via smart ticketing, there are clearly some privacy issues to be addressed and organising committees at major events need to have a plan and the right technology in place for protection and peace of mind.

What do you consider Cutting Edge Sport? 

Any sport that embraces all of the advancements in technology that are changing how sport is practiced, delivered and experienced.  Nearly everything today, from broadcast coverage to the athlete’s training to the stadiums and playing fields, requires a high level of technology and increasingly it’s not a question of whom the strongest or fastest sportsperson is but who has the most futuristic kit.

From pedometers on your smartphone to nano-coating on mountain bikes to repel water, athletes everywhere are using technology to improve their training and performance. Clothing is technically designed to ensure the most aerodynamic contour, each piece of sports equipment is compared and weighed, and top level athletes carry tracking technology to examine and improve their performance. Tracking technology is a great example of how technology has changed sport, allowing athletes to monitor their efforts and transmit the data onto other devices to analyse for both performance and health reasons.

In addition to the demands athletes place on tech developers, spectators are also demanding their sports coverage and engagement to be as hi-tech as possible. Spectators want to keep track of their favourite sports teams through real-time apps, watch them with instant-replay on their laptops and purchase tickets online. Nearly every part of the spectator experience is linked to technology down to the amplification of the referee’s calls.      

All of these technology aspects have and are changing the sporting world, with more and more competitions becoming increasingly cutting edge. With 2015 giving us many major events such as the Rugby World Cup, and the pace of technology increasing all the time, I think we have some exciting developments to look forward to over the next 12 months which will change the face of sport everywhere.