Wimbledon "revealed it is experimenting with technologies to further connect with fans, including Snapchat and iBeacons," and is preparing to welcome Watson, IBM's artificial intelligence engine, to the tournament, according to Jennifer Faull of THE DRUM. However, "amid the rise of live streaming social tools being tested to engage fans unable to attend the 13-day tournament," Wimbledon Head of Digital & Content Alexandra Willis "revealed that spectators will be strongly discouraged from using apps such as Periscope." Willis said Wimbledon’s content team "will test Periscope, but questioned if it would be appropriate for spectators to do the same." She said, "If someone is holding up a tablet and blocking someone else from watching the action that’s not the right behavior for Wimbledon. It’s something we have to keep an eye on." It remains a condition of entry to the courts that mobile phones are not used and Willis said that "Wimbledon officials will be keeping watch for people live streaming." However, she added that the quality of video is not currently there for Periscope "to become a serious challenge to broadcasters." Her comments came amid an update on Wimbledon’s three-year journey to shift its "stuffy" image and engage with more people across more platforms. The website was overhauled in '12, an iPad app was created in '13 and in '14 "it focused on mobile apps content creation." While the website remains the primary platform, social media "is playing an ever more important role and has proved to be a major focus for 2015" (THE DRUM, 6/18).
