The NTT IndyCar Series announced on Monday that it has named Cisco as an official partner of the series and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
The partnership will allow Penske Entertainment to utilize a wide range of technological offerings from the global technology company, including consultation services from experts in nearly every area of the tech world.
Networking infrastructure, wireless services, cloud management, and more are also part of the planned partnership.
Although IndyCar already has title partnership with NTT Data since 2019 and utilizes that company for any of its technology needs, the new announcement with Cisco is not superseding that arrangement.
NTT Data and Cisco have been close business partners for 33 years, and recently announced closer collaboration with each other less than a month ago.
“The Penske Entertainment portfolio includes some of the marquee races and venues in all of motorsports, and we are thrilled to build upon our existing customer relationship to continue to provide a wide range of Cisco technology solutions to meet the demands of their first-in-class properties,” said Ashley Marusak, Leader, Global Sports Marketing at Cisco.
Cisco is a large company on the global stage, and has a $193.5 billion market cap. The partnership with IndyCar will likely lead to process improvements in many different areas.
One specific application mentioned for IndyCar is the ability to utilize Webex for the many different meetings and press interview sessions that take place throughout the year.
Currently, IndyCar uses Zoom to host and record most media sessions and utilizes a third party ASAP Sports to provide full transcripts with a quick turnaround.
Cisco will also provide at-track hospitality services at select races throughout the season, including this week’s Indianapolis 500.
McLaren Racing, the Olympic and Paralympic Games, Real Madrid F.C., and the National Football League are all already partners with Cisco, proving the company has ample experience in the sports world to be a valuable asset in the American racing scene.
