USGA Using Cisco Webex to Connect Players with Journalists at the US Open

The U.S. Open is one of the biggest championships in the world, and this week at Pebble Beach, 156 players from more than 30 different countries will compete for the coveted trophy. I am in awe of these amazingly talented athletes and am extremely excited to watch as they perform on one of the biggest stages in all of sports.

When Cisco embarked on a partnership with the United States Golf Association (USGA) this past fall, one of the key aspects of the partnership was to utilize a wide variety of Cisco technology – networking, security, cloud, data and analytics, and collaboration – to have a positive impact on the sport and the USGA’s championships.

At the U.S. Open this week at Pebble Beach, the USGA has been using Cisco Webex to connect players with journalists from around the world leading up to the championship and will continue to do so during the event. The same happened at the U.S. Women’s Open a couple weeks ago in Charleston, South Carolina.

The response from journalists has been extremely positive. They have loved being able to easily connect and conduct video interviews with players to enhance their coverage. From the BBC in the UK, to numerous journalists in Mexico and Spain, to here in the US and outlets like the Boston Globe, the interviews over Webex have added a dynamic element.

In addition to connecting numerous journalists, we are also debuting the first-ever “Connected Course” at the U.S. Open where a course-wide Cisco Wi-Fi network will enhance the fan experience. The connectivity is also enabling numerous opportunities for fans using the U.S. Open app, such as wayfinding, augmented reality and more.

Our collective goal is to use Cisco technology to connect everyone – from fans to journalists to those working behind the scenes at the event. We are excited to see it all coming together to benefit the USGA and all those involved with their championships – near or far.

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