Reaching New Heights via Modern Cloud and Mobile Technology
Hong Kong, January 27, 2014 – Established for more than a century with a loyal following, South China is without a doubt one of the most iconic football teams in Hong Kong. Evolving with modern technology, South China is active in various internet platforms while sharing all the latest developments with its passionate supporters, including team news, pre-game and post-game coverage, live scores and player activities. Amongst all these features, the South China Chairman’s Blog that has been up and running for the past 8 years with more than 39 million pageviews, is the platform where the Chairman of South China Football Management Committee communicates regularly with the supporters. In South China’s previous AFC Cup matches, the South China’s Blog also acted as a Live Blog where it engaged 10 thousand+ online viewers simultaneously.
2014 is a monumental year for South China, as the team will challenge for the AFC Champions League Playoff for the first time in history. Everyone associated with the club is excited about this challenge and cannot wait for the match on the February 2, as South China takes on Tampines Rovers from Singapore in the AFC Champions League Playoff.
As a long-standing sponsor of South China, sports giant adidas has generously presented the team with a slogan of “How High is High”, wishing South China all the very best on its AFC Champions League journey while encouraging the team to push for as far as possible.
Today, technology giant Microsoft is announcing its sponsorship for South China Football Team.
Microsoft will take South China Chairman’s Blog to cloud. South China Chairman’s Blog and Live Match Text Broadcast have always enjoyed high-standing view-rates. Through the Microsoft Windows Azure cloud technology, Live Blog will now be seamlessly linked to different devices and interfaces including tablets and smart phones. Supporters can now log on to liveblog.southchinafc.hk and instantly receive all the match developments while interacting with supporters from around the globe in real-time.
Microsoft will provide support to the South China Chairman’s Blog through Windows Azure, bringing premier social and entertainment experience to the hotly-contested South China football matches. Microsoft’s cloud technology offers a wide range of benefits such as low deployment costs and operational costs, rapid set-up process, professional technical support, and quick access to the network infrastructure services of Microsoft’s global datacenters (including enormous data storage and cloud computing power). Given that cloud technology helps break geographical barriers, this enables supporters from around the globe to access all the match developments, anytime, anywhere.
Furthermore, Microsoft will also assist in South China’s match preparation through Windows 8 and its latest mobile technology and device. Coachbase, an expert in developing sports application, offers a very popular application named Coach’s Clipboard. Founder of Coachbase, Mr. Keith Rumjahn, used a Surface tablet and the Coach’s Clipboard to demonstrate to South China head coach Cheung Po-chun and his players on-site on how this Windows 8 application could assist in match preparation, coaching presentation and match tactics design. General Manager of Microsoft Hong Kong, Mr. Horace Chow, presented South China’s Representative Mr. Steven Lo a Surface Pro 2 tablet with the Coach’s Clipboard application on scene, wishing South China a successful endeavor in the upcoming Champions League Playoff.
In the meantime, FOX Sports also announces that the network will broadcast South China’s Asian Champions League Playoff match against Tampines Rovers Live on the February 2at 7pm. Viewers can catch all the match-action Live on Now TV channel 670 and 672.
“South China has always taken great pride in its association with renowned international brands and we are extremely pleased to team up with Microsoft, an elite in the technology field, for this brand new sponsorship,” said Mr. Steven Lo, Chairman of South China Football Management Committee. “For the upcoming AFC Champions League Playoff, we have definitely received a great backing from Microsoft, adidas and FOX Sports, as well as other sponsors and supporters. We do feel a tremendous support behind us and that will make us all work extra hard to try to soar as high as possible in the AFC Champions League matches.”
“Cloud technology, combined with mobile devices, enables users to receive the latest news and information, anytime, anywhere, breaking the geographical barriers and allowing interactions with other users in real-time,” said Mr. Horace Chow, General Manager of Microsoft Hong Kong Limited.
“Microsoft is very delighted to team up with South China, helping the team to reach soaring heights, strengthening the team’s interactions with its supporters and sharing the latest match developments through our Windows Azure cloud service, Surface tablet and Windows 8 mobile technology. I believe this is the perfect blend of technology and sports.”
“As a leading football brand, adidas has always been proactive in developing the latest technology in order to provide world-class football teams and top players with cutting-edge products, enabling them to perform faster, more accurate and stronger on the football pitch,” said Mr. Adrian Siu, Managing Director, adidas Hong Kong & South China.“ adidas helps players to excel on the pitch throughout the ninety minutes while leading their teams to glory. Our top-four series, including adizero™ f 50, Predator®, Nitrocharge™ and 11pro all have their unique characters and niches, supporting the players with cutting-edge technology to allow them to perform up to their potential on the pitch.”
“We are proud to broadcast South China’s match against Tampines Rovers on the February 2 in live, allowing Hong Kong football fans to cheer for South China via FOX Sports” said Mr. Rix Yu, Vice President, Territory Head – Hong Kong, FOX Sports. “Besides showing the match live in Hong Kong, we will also bring this game to twelve Asian countries in order to introduce Hong Kong football to a wider audience. In addition, Fox Sports channels will also broadcast various matches from the 2014 AFC Champions League and AFC Cup, allowing football-lovers to witness the great performances by Hong Kong’s representatives in these premier Asian tournaments. We take this opportunity to once again wish South China a great victory in its upcoming match.”
“Designercity has had a longstanding partnership with bma since 2010. It was a privilege for us to develop and design the brand new South China Football Club Live Blog that incorporates the User Experience (UX) from the beginning. Passionate football fans must be heard as that’s what makes a club great and we took that seriously in the design and build of the infrastructure to incorporate the live blog and chatroom segment. Fans are able to leave comments and receive live reports through the Live Blog. Through digital technology and UX, we were able to create the best digital solution seamlessly and we believe the South China FC fans are going to enjoy the experience very much,” said Mr. Win Mak, Managing Director, Designercity (HK) Ltd.
Prior to the end of the press conference, Mr. Steven Lo, Chairman of the South China Football Management Committee led head coach Cheung Po-chun, captain Chan Wai-ho, players Chan Siu-Ki, Sasa Kajkut and Andrew Barisic for a declaration ceremony, announcing South China’s departure for Singapore tomorrow. South China hopes the early arrival to Singapore can help the team to get acclimatized on both, the local weather and match venue, enabling the team to be best-prepared for the AFC Champions League Playoff tilt against Tampines Rovers on the February 2.
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About Microsoft
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT”) is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential.
About adidas Football
adidas is the global leader in football. It is the official sponsor / official supplier partner of the most important football tournaments in the world, such as the FIFA World Cup™, the FIFA Confederations Cup, the UEFA Champions League™, the UEFA Europa League™ and the UEFA European Championships. adidas sponsors some of the top football federations in world football including Spain, Argentina, Germany, Japan, Russia, Colombia, Nigeria and Mexico. adidas also sponsors some of the world’s top clubs including Real Madrid, FC Bayern Munich, AC Milan, Flamengo and Chelsea. Some of the world’s best players also on the adidas roster are Leo Messi, Gareth Bale, Mesut Özil, Fernando Torres, Luis Suárez, Dani Alves, Oscar, Xavi, Karim Benzema and Bastian Schweinsteiger.
About South China Football Team
South China Football Team, established in 1908, has a proud history that spans for more than a century. The team is crowned as champions of the Hong Kong First Division for forty-one times, winning the Senior Shield for thirty-one times. Mr. Steven Lo, Chairman of the South China Football Management Committee, took over in 2006 and has since led the team to numerous victories and glory.
About Designercity (HK) Ltd.
At the forefront of design and technology, Designercity occupy a unique space in today’s digital landscape. As pioneers in ‘Connected Experience’ solutions, Designercity integrate online, mobile, multi-touch and digital touch-points to offer an all-encompassing digital service to brands and business across the region. Voted as Campaign Asia’s ‘Agency of the Year – Gold 2013’, the company has the scope to deliver large-scale projects for major clients across the hospitality, retail, finance and corporate sectors. Clients include: Hysan Place, Peninsula Hotels, Dairy Farm, Hong Kong Tourism Board, Hong Kong Trade Development Council, Ocean Park and Arsenal Football Club. Designercity is a WPP Company.
About FOX Sports
FOX Sports is a channel owned by FOX International Channels, which delivers some of the most compelling LIVE sport events from around the world, including the top tennis matches, golf tournaments, as well as the Formula One World Championship. FOX Sports also cover LIVE sports matches of Asia, including the AFC Champions League and the AFC Cup. For more information, please visit www.foxsportsasia.com。
