HCL signs on as CA's technology partner

Global outfit HCL Technologies has been announced as Cricket Australia's digital technology partner in a multi-year partnership that will service the organisation's platforms including cricket.com.au, the CA Live app and MyCricket.

HCL was selected following an extensive search for a trusted digital partner with proven credentials in enabling digital transformation and delivering unique experiences to all users and stakeholders.

Speaking at the launch, Belinda Clark, ahead of resuming her position as Executive General Manager of Community Cricket, was excited by the possibilities the alignment offered in the grassroots space.

“The more time we can take out of (administration), the more time people have to interact with each other, which is why you come to a cricket club in the first place," Clark said. "I’ve got a vision that we can essentially run a cricket club from your phone and until we can do that, we won’t stop."

CEO Kevin Roberts emphasised that it was “critically important that we have a digitally enabled workforce of volunteers” as well as highlighting the enormous scale that CA’s digital platforms have achieved to date – including 1.4 billion global video views last season and an active social media audience of 22m+ – which the HCL partnership would help to take to the next level.

CA's platforms have developed an online audience exceeding 20 million globally per year and have established and maintained their position as the No.1 sports destination in Australia throughout the summer, achieving a record unique Australian audience of 2.87 million in January 2019. 

HCL will build on the work done by Accenture which had been CA's preferred partner on a five-year deal from November 2013, established following a joint-venture between CA and the Nine Entertainment Company that saw CA ramp up its digital offering – including live streaming and improved news, video and social content.

The new deal will see HCL – a leading provider of digital transformation for major professional sports organisations – manage and elevate CA’s suite of digital products, including community cricket applications such as the MyCricket platform and community.cricket.com.au.

CA chief executive Kevin Roberts said: "Cricket is rapidly evolving here and overseas, and part of that evolution involves advancements in technology and the digital landscape.

"Cricket Australia is connecting with fans and participants through our digital platforms every minute of the day, through the stories and live match data on cricket.com.au right through to participants and community volunteers using our MyCricket platform.

"The usage of these platforms continues to grow significantly, so partnering with a leading global technology provider to harness this growth and help us take advantage of our leading position is a natural next step.

"HCL, as our Official Digital Technology Partner, will help take our digital offerings to the next level and allow us to better connect with and inspire communities through cricket."

HCL Executive Vice President & Country Manager, Australia & New Zealand, Michael Horton, said: "We believe that this partnership will serve as a blueprint for organisations worldwide who are exploring technology platforms that can scale existing value chains into ecosystem-centric business models, resulting in inspiring and exceptional experiences."

"The vision of this partnership is to continue igniting passion for the game and to grow lifelong fans. We look forward to providing the Australian cricket community with leading-edge digital technologies that support real-time, engaging, personalised and unified experiences."

"HCL understands the importance of retaining and engaging fans in today’s digital world. We look forward to deploying our skills and experience to increase fan delight, high performance and community inspiration for the love of cricket."