HCL Technologies - Official IT Provider for VOR 2017-18

HCL Technologies is the official IT services provider for Volvo Ocean Race 2017/18, delivering IT solutions for the 45,000 nautical mile round the word race.

The partnership will help fans to follow the eight month ocean marathon and will be the backbone of Volvo Ocean Race’s streaming and TV production for key events throughout the course. 

The delivery will include inter-site connectivity at the race’s global stopovers, digital content delivery, mobile data centres and infrastructure with full redundancy, Wi-Fi networks, and multimedia facilities for race offices and journalists.

HCL will provide end-to-end IT support in setting up the Race Villages in all 12 stopovers, enabling Volvo Ocean Race to provide a great viewing experience for fans. 

Ainhoa Sanchez/Volvo Ocean Race

Volvo Ocean Race CEO Mark Turner commented,

“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 millions of fans around the world is an immense task. Building the complex IT infrastructure that we use for this around the world 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.”

This year's VOR will be one of the most extreme yet, covering three times as many Southern Ocean miles as in previous editions. 

 “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 VP & 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 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."

The race begins in Alicante, Spain, on 22 October 2017, and will pass through Lisbon, Cape Town, Hong Kong, Guangzhou, Auckland, Itajaí, Newport, Cardiff and Gothenburg, finishing in The Hague in June 2018.