Volvo Ocean Race is the world’s longest professional sporting event

Going 45,000 nautical miles round the world, the race stops at 12 ports

Noida, India – 20th March, 2017: HCL Technologies, the leading global IT services company, has been chosen as the strategic IT services provider to the Volvo Ocean Race. HCL will be responsible for developing and delivering IT solutions for the 2017–18 edition of the race around the world. The Volvo Ocean Race held every three years witnesses the coming together of the best sailors across the world to compete in the toughest offshore challenge.

The IT infrastructure being developed in collaboration with HCL will form the backbone of Volvo Ocean Race’s streaming and TV production for key events such as arrivals, departures and the In-Port Race series. HCL will support vital services, such as inter-site connectivity at the race’s global stopovers, digital content delivery, mobile data centres and infrastructure with full redundancy, best-in-class Wi-Fi networks, and multimedia facilities for media centres and race offices. HCL will provide end-to-end IT support in setting up the Race Villages in all 12 ports, enabling Volvo Ocean Race to provide a great viewing experience to its fans as they follow the boats during the eight-month ocean marathon and stopovers at host cities around the world.

Volvo Ocean Race CEO Mark Turner said “The upcoming edition of the Volvo Ocean Race will be more digitally focused than ever before. Connecting the expected three million Race Village visitors, the 5,000 accredited journalists and our tens of millions of fans around the world is an immense task. Building the complex IT infrastructure to support this is a huge challenge, and we’re confident that this partnership with HCL Technologies will allow us to provide fans, media and stakeholders with a more connected experience than ever before.”

“We are excited to be supporting such a momentous event in the extreme sporting calendar. The Volvo Ocean Race has become the Everest of racing; representing a life-changing experience for the crews and teams that take part,” said Ashish Gupta, Corporate Vice President & Head of EMEA, HCL Technologies. “HCL teams from around the world will come together and work tirelessly to drive a world-class, experience for the millions of race followers, who will be using the latest digital technologies to get closer than ever to the action.”

The race will depart Alicante, Spain, on 22 October 2017.  At a projected 45,000 nautical miles, the 2017-18 race is the world’s longest professional sporting event.  This edition of the race features three times as many Southern Ocean miles than its previous edition.  An additional ring is added to the Volvo Trophy with each edition, and the 13-ringed incarnation of the trophy awaits its 2017-18 winner. 

The Volvo Ocean Race partnership furthers HCL’s credentials in the sporting arena and follows the company’s global engagement with Manchester United where HCL was selected as the club’s official ‘digital partner’.

For more information, please visit: /volvo-ocean-race

About HCL Technologies

HCL Technologies (HCL) is a leading global IT services company that helps global enterprises re–imagine and transform their businesses through Digital technology transformation. HCL operates out of 32 countries and has consolidated revenues of US$ 6.7 billion, for 12 months ended 31st December, 2016. HCL focuses on providing an integrated portfolio of services underlined by its Mode 1–2–3 growth strategy. Mode 1 encompasses the core services in the areas of Applications, Infrastructure, BPO and Engineering & R&D services, leveraging DRYiCE^TM Autonomics to transform clients' business and IT landscape, making them 'lean' and 'agile'. Mode 2 focuses on experience–centric and outcome–oriented services such as Digital and Analytics Services (BEYONDigital^TM), IoT WoRKS^TM, Cloud and Security, utilizing DRYiCE^TM Orchestration to drive business outcomes and enable enterprise digitalization. Mode 3 strategy is ecosystem–driven, creating innovative IP–partnerships to build products and platforms business.

HCL leverages its global network of integrated co-innovation labs, and global delivery capabilities to provide holistic multi–service delivery in key industry verticals including Financial Services, Manufacturing, Telecommunications, Media, Publishing, Entertainment, Retail CPG, Life Sciences Healthcare, Oil & Gas, Energy & Utilities, Travel, Transportation & Logistics and Government. With 111,092 professionals from diverse nationalities, HCL focuses on creating real value for customers by taking 'Relationships Beyond the Contract'. For more information, please visit www.hcltech.com

Media Contacts:

Global 

RAVI KATHURIA
Ravi.Kathuria@hcl.com

USA

Meenakshi Benjwal
HCL Technologies
meenakshi.benjwal@hcl.com
+1 201 885 9567

Europe

Elka Ghudial
HCL Technologies
elka.ghudial@hcl.com
+44 7973 567 131   

 India

Devneeta Pahuja
HCL Technologies
devneeta.p@hcl.com
+91 9811277033