DP World Tour (DPWT) Europe has signed a global agreement with HCLTech to access the skills needed to redevelop its website and fan app in the age of artificial intelligence (AI).
The global partnership has already seen DPWT go through discovery and scoping exercises and begin some of the initial sprints to build the website and app.
DPWT CTO Michael Cole said the complete rebuild comes after using its current platforms for six years: “We went to the market looking for a new tech provider for a range of services, in particular around our websites and app, which, although we get some great reviews, have been in existence now since 2018.”
Cole told Computer Weekly: “We felt it was time for a tech refresh, with technology moving at a very rapid rate, around our key shop window to the fans around the globe.”
Tapping into AI skills and support
Beyond its software development expertise, Cole said the organisation wanted to access HCLTech’s support capabilities.
He said the acceleration of AI in the enterprise space presented opportunities to improve fan engagement, but DPWT does not have the resources internally to put it “in the strongest position to really continue to be at the forefront of technology”.
Cole said DPWT runs a “fairly nimble” IT team, so it taps into partner organisations for skills as it moves into a new development transformation.
“We’ve come through the digital transformation. We’re now entering the era of AI transformation, and HCLTech is an obvious partner to be working with us,” he said.
HCLTech has nearly a quarter of a million staff in 60 countries, the majority of whom work in software development and support.
Work with HCLTech will likely go beyond the initial development of the website and app, according to Cole. “We know that HCL has a huge capability in technology, and brings a big depth of experience in sport as well, so this is very much the start of the journey, and I have no doubt it’s going to evolve,” he said.
Working for and with golf fans
But it’s not just HCLTech and DPWT that are involved in the development of the app and website, with a panel of 300 “of the most fanatical golf fans” also part of the design process, said Cole.
This kind of feedback, combined with the application of AI, will help DPWT meet its goal to hyper-personalise experiences for fans.
“We want to move away from a world where fans come to our platforms and are content with the information and the insight and the content we give them,” said Cole. “We want to use AI to really get a better understanding of that fan base.”
He added that one way the data can be used is to “drive real drama” for fans. “For example, AI can explain what the consequence of getting a bogey is or how the longest drive puts a player in the best position to strike a birdie. It can explain what one shot means for a single round and the overall tournament,” said Cole.
