IBM Deploying Cloud Servers For French Open Fans

By David Zielenziger | May 30 2012 4:18 PM

International Business Machines Corp. (NYSE: IBM) said it was deploying cloud, or Internet, computing services for the website of the French Open so that it can handle as much as 100 times normal traffic.

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IBM has created Slam Tracker for the 2012 French Open, which has analyzed 39 million separate data points about tennis players, their records and strategies.

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IBM, the No. 2 computer company, will deploy three separate computer servers at remote locations to operate as one throughout the tennis tournament, which started May 22 and ends June 10.

Last year, fans drove traffic on the French Open site to 330 million page views and 37 million daily visits, compared with only 31 million in 2010. IBM, of Armonk, N.Y., has devised other private clouds for sports events including the U.S. Open, Masters Golf Tournament and the Australian Open.

For the French Open, IBM also devised a new slamtracker feature that analyzes seven years of Grand Slam tennis data, or 39 million data points. Before each match, the feature will present on-screen data about each player's record, style and performance to prssent the player's particular keys to winning a tennis match

IBM shares fell $2.08 to $192.45 in Thursday morning trading. They've gained nearly 6 percent this year.