BOSTON, Feb. 27, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Zebra Technologies Corporation (NASDAQ: ZBRA), a global leader in products and solutions that provide real-time visibility into organizations' assets, people and transactions, today announced its sponsorship of the 2014 MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference taking place between February 28 - March 1, 2014, at the Hynes Convention Center in Boston, MA. The company will feature the Zebra MotionWorks™ Sports Solution, an RFID technology platform that provides sports teams with real-time player tracking data-visualization and statistics, at a demonstration booth and will take part in a panel on data analytics in sports.
The panel, Big Data in Sports, will take place on February 28th at 1 p.m. EST, and it will explore how data and analytics tools create innovation across the sporting landscape from both an on-field and commercial perspective. The panel will be streamed live on the conference website and will feature sports-analytics leaders including:
- Jill Stelfox, general manager of location solutions, Zebra Technologies
- Dean Oliver, director of production analytics, ESPN
- John Forese, senior vice president and general manager, LiveAnalytics, Ticketmaster Entertainment
- David McIntosh, corporate partner, Ropes & Gray
- Tom Davenport, IT and management professor, Babson College as Moderator
"We are thrilled to partner with MIT for this great event and look forward to a lively discussion around the ways data and technology are impacting the sporting world," said Jill Stelfox, general manager of location solutions for Zebra Technologies. "By showcasing the Zebra MotionWorks™ Sports Solution at the conference, attendants will be able to visualize the technology's ability to provide professional and collegiate sports programs with real-time player data and analytics that help enhance team training, player evaluation, and the fan experience."
The Zebra MotionWorks™ Sports Solution will be featured in two attendee challenges at Zebra's exhibitor booth in the MIT Sports Analytics Exhibition Hall. At the "Zebra Vertical Jump Challenge," attendees will be able to see the Zebra MotionWorks™ Sports Solution in action by wearing sensors and participating in a vertical jump contest. Participants will be able to view statistics from their jump and compare themselves against the jump data of current football players. After taking part in the activity, participants will have the chance to share a photo of their jump on social media for a chance to win an iPad Air. Entrants will be tracked using #ZebraJump. Participants can also try their luck in the Zebra's "Be the Coach" challenge, where they will analyze a series of football plays based on data collected from a simulation of the Zebra MotionWorks™ solution.
"Please join me in welcoming Zebra Technologies as a sponsor of the 2014 MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference," said Darryl Morey, conference co-founder and general manager of the Houston Rockets. "We are excited to learn more about their contributions to sports statistics and real-time data visualization through the Zebra MotionWorks™ Sports Solution."
The two-day MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference will also feature panelists and presentations from top sports industry professionals, celebrated owners, coaches, players, writers and analysts offering the latest in data and analytics technologies and practices. Some of the noted panelists include:
- Phil Jackson, NBA Hall of Fame inductee and 11-time NBA title holder as a coach
- Adam Silver, commissioner, NBA
- John Henry, owner, Boston Red Sox
- Andrew Luck, quarterback, Indianapolis Colts
- Val Ackerman, commissioner, Big East Conference
- Jeanie Buss, president and owner, Los Angeles Lakers
For more information about the Zebra MotionWorks™ Sport Solution please visit http://www.zebramotionworks.com. Follow Zebra at the MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference (@ZebraTechnology and @ZebraSports).
About Zebra MotionWorks™ Sports Solution
The Zebra MotionWorks™ Sports Solution uses radio frequency identification (RFID) receivers throughout stadiums to read quarter-sized active RFID tags that are placed inside the equipment of each player and register key player data, such as movement, distance and speed. This data is then compiled into a comprehensive database, providing a rich archive of game information, as well as generating real-time broadcast overlays of all the action on the field and real-time visualizations for coaching staffs.
About Zebra Technologies
A global leader respected for innovation and reliability, Zebra Technologies Corporation (NASDAQ:ZBRA) offers technologies that give a virtual voice to an organization's assets, people and transactions, enabling organizations to unlock greater business value. The company's extensive portfolio of marking and printing solutions, including RFID and real-time location solutions, illuminates mission-critical information to help customers take smarter business actions. For more information about Zebra's solutions, visit www.zebra.com.
About the MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference
The goal of the MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference is to provide a forum for industry professionals, executives, leading researchers, and students to discuss the increasing role of analytics in the global sports industry. MIT Sloan is dedicated to fostering growth and innovation in this arena, and hopes to enrich opportunities for learning about the use of analytics in sports via the 2014 conference. For more information about the conference please visit www.sloansportsconference.com.
SOURCE Zebra Technologies Corporation