Fortinet, the US cybersecurity solutions provider, has agreed a multi-year deal to become an official tour partner and cybersecurity partner of golf’s European Tour.
The deal, which is due to commence from the 2022 season, will see Fortinet “provide its expertise and innovative security solutions to support the tour’s digital innovation journey.”
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The company joins BMW, Callaway, Emirates, Workday, Zoom and DP World – which next season becomes the title sponsor of the tour through an historic naming rights agreement – as a top-tier tour partner.
There are two main areas in which Fortinet will work with the European Tour. Firstly, it will provide security analytics, reporting and response capabilities for the tour’s bring-your-own-device (BYOD) environment, which is said to be one of the largest and most complex in the sports industry, with up to 25,000 fans, media and key stakeholders attending each day of a 47-tournament season.
Secondly, Fortinet will provide “advanced security, broad visibility and control” and increased speed for the tour’s cloud infrastructure, which it uses for its office and tournament-based services around the world.
Michael Cole, chief technology officer at the European Tour, explained: “In recent years we have pioneered the tournament-as-a-service concept, which packages intelligent and connected golf course systems into a cloud-based ‘smart city’ solution that can be rolled out at any tournament.
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By GlobalData“As we continue to bring this concept to life, Fortinet’s platform approach, through its Security Fabric offering, will further enhance the management, monitoring and agility of this complex operation and make sure we give our various stakeholders – whether that be fans, media, partners or players – an exceptional and secure experience.”
Max Hamilton, commercial director at the European Tour, added: “Following the ongoing and extensive transformation of the European Tour’s technological landscape, we have been keen to find a new partner that will help protect our investments and keep us at the forefront of technology in sport.
“Technology plays such an integral role in modern golf and Fortinet’s innovation and expertise will enhance our ability to successfully deliver a secure experience.”
