As the U.S. Open kicks off this week, IBM and the USTA have
once again launched the Official U.S. Open Web site at
http://www.usopen.org. The site's home page offers links to the
IBM home page, http://www.ibm.com, as well as links to
"Information," "On-Site," "History," and "Technology" areas on
the Open. At "Information," fans can access a sitemap, U.S. Open
program articles, a guide to New York, tournament schedule, new
U.S. Open stadium details, sponsor and ticket info. The "On-
Site" link offers current scores, daily results, match schedule,
player bios, and draws, in addition to a U.S. Open report that
includes daily previews, features, and interviews. Fans can
access a U.S. Open Images section that has "live net cam" and
"shots of the day." The site provides the only site on the
Internet where you can obtain real-time Open scores, as each of
the 16 main courts are equipped with an IBM ThinkPad which
umpires use to electronically record each point of every match.
This information is immediately transmitted to the electronic
scoreboards and information on-site, and to the web site. For
properly equipped computers, the site also offers audio clips of
post-match interviews and player comments. If a "We're playing a
let" message comes up, don't worry, it merely means the site is
being updated and you should be able to access it shortly. An
IBM spokesperson said that IBM has produced Web sites for every
Grand Slam since the '95 Wimbledon, but this Open site stands out
as "possibly the most sophisticated and comprehensive" (THE
DAILY).
