By Mark Baber
September 4 – Chelsea has unveiled Wipro, the Bangalore, India-based multi-national global information technology company, as the club’s new official digital and IT partner. Last week Manchester United announced a similar digital partnership with another Indian technology company, HCL Technologies.
Wipro, which began life in 1945 as Western India Vegetable Products Limited, is now one of India’s largest companies and reportedly the seventh largest IT service firm in the world – with a market capitalisation of $35 billion and interests ranging from the development of network centres for battlefield operations to education and healthcare. The company hit the news in the UK in 2014 when it was revealed as one of the businesses in the frame to handle millions of NHS patient records.
According to a press release from Chelsea, the club “will work with Wipro to create digital and technology experiences for millions of fans that span not only the in-stadium, game day but also their digital experience anytime and anywhere.”
The launch event featured Jose Mourinho and players not on international duty including John Terry, Oscar and Falcao as well as representatives from Wipro.
Christian Purslow, managing director of Chelsea said: “Wipro is a leading global company delivering world-class services that put their customers at the heart of everything they do. We plan on using this partnership to truly enhance the fan experience for millions of Chelsea supporters worldwide. Wipro’s expertise in building winning propositions that sit at the intersection of strategy, design and technology will help sustain our position as the digital leader in global sport.”
“It is also exciting for to enter into a global partnership with Wipro given their significant presence and brand coverage in India – a market where we have over 50 million passionate supporters and where there is great potential to further build our fan base.”
Rajan Kohli, Senior Vice President and Global Head of Wipro Digital added: “Chelsea FC is renowned for its commitment to excellence and developing a passionate fan base across the world. Their confidence in Wipro Digital is a testament of our value proposition for global sports and gaming entities. Our unique ‘Customer Journey Engineering’ methodology will enable Chelsea FC to continue to be a preeminent digital brand.”
Wipro Digital was recently set up as a “commando force” with the aim of generating $1 billion in annual revenue within three years from the digital sector, which would make it one of the Wipro’s top sources of revenue.
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