Cisco extends its partnership with Real Madrid in bid to set new benchmarks in connected sports experiences
The multi-year extension of their long-standing global partnership, reaffirms Cisco's position as an Official Technology Partner of the club.
This agreement will incorporate Cisco's advanced technology at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium and significant enhancements to Real Madrid Sports City – the club's official training complex.
The collaboration marks the next phase of a strategic collaboration between Cisco and Real Madrid that continues to set new benchmarks in connected sports experiences and operational excellence.
In 2024, the two organizations completed a full-scale digital transformation of the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, positioning it as one of the most technologically advanced sports venues in the world.
Cisco delivered a unified Software Defined Access (SDA) network, the first of its kind in a European stadium, offering secure, segmented connectivity throughout the venue. Cisco's cloud-based IP Fabric for Media enabled real-time content delivery to more than 2,500 screens across the stadium and supported global broadcasting for millions of fans. Cisco's cybersecurity and observability platforms continue to ensure seamless operations, threat protection, and full visibility across Real Madrid's digital footprint.
As part of this extended partnership, Cisco will now upgrade Real Madrid Sports City, the Club's official training headquarters, with the latest digital infrastructure. This includes the deployment of a new, AI-ready data center designed to handle both traditional and next-generation workloads while optimizing for energy efficiency and operational agility. The training facility will also be equipped with Cisco Wi-Fi 7, enabling ultra-fast, low-latency wireless connectivity for fans and employees.
In addition, Cisco will deploy a high-speed 100 Gbps network infrastructure between Real Madrid Sports City and the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium.
This interconnection, powered by Cisco's Application Centric Infrastructure (ACI), will allow for secure and seamless communication between the two locations, providing centralized control and real-time coordination across Real Madrid's operations.
Today, the Real Madrid Sports City serves as a real-time digital command center, capable of remotely managing every connected device within the stadium. With enhanced automation, intelligence, and visibility enabled by Cisco technologies, the Club is further streamlining operations and enriching the experience for fans and athletes alike.
Cisco and Real Madrid first joined forces in 2022 with a shared ambition to transform the Club's infrastructure into a model of innovation and digital performance. Since then, Cisco's role has grown to power every layer of Real Madrid's connected ecosystem, from stadium connectivity and media distribution to cybersecurity and smart facility management.
By extending their partnership, Cisco and Real Madrid are shaping the future of sports through technology. The Santiago Bernabéu and Real Madrid Sports City now stand as global models of what's possible when innovation and tradition come together.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Zawya
4 hours ago
- Zawya
NTT DATA and Mistral AI to shape future of sustainable and secure private ai for enterprises
DUBAI, UAE – NTT DATA, a global leader in digital business and technology services, and Mistral AI, a rising innovator in open-weight, high-performance generative AI (GenAI) models, today announced plans to jointly sell and deploy safe and private enterprise-grade AI solutions that are able to foster strategic autonomy for clients. The companies will combine NTT DATA's comprehensive GenAI and IT services portfolio, global delivery capabilities, industry expertise and trusted client relationships with Mistral AI's solutions and advanced generative AI models, which are recognized for their efficiency, performance and enterprise empowerment. Initial focus areas include: Sustainable and Secure AI Co-Development: The companies will develop sustainable and highly secure private AI solutions for organizations in regulated sectors such as financial services, insurance, defense and public sector. The companies will provide end-to-end solutions from infrastructure to business processes powered by AI applications for clients operating on private clouds. AI-Driven Innovation for IT Infrastructure & Customer Experience: The companies will pioneer the integration of Mistral AI technologies into NTT DATA's customer experience platforms, beginning with agentic AI call center solutions in Europe and Asia Pacific. Joint projects could include co-development of LLMs for specific languages, which will further AI innovation tailored to local markets and specialized needs. Go-To-Market Expansion: NTT DATA and Mistral AI will jointly develop and execute regional go-to-market strategies tailored to the unique dynamics of countries including France, Luxembourg, Spain, Singapore and Australia. End-to-end AI services will range from use-case development and customization to implementation, support and managed services. Dedicated sales teams will be assigned to address key client needs and priorities. To drive innovation and implementation excellence, NTT DATA will establish a Mistral AI Center of Excellence staffed with subject matter experts and dedicated resources. In addition, Mistral AI will launch a technical enablement and certification program for NTT DATA personnel. 'Collaborating with Mistral AI to bring trustworthy, impactful AI to market aligns with NTT DATA's mission to accelerate client success and positively impact society through responsible innovation,' said Abhijit Dubey, CEO and Chief AI Officer*, NTT DATA, Inc. 'By joining forces with Mistral AI, we will harness the power of high-performing AI models combined with NTT DATA's comprehensive AI capabilities, including our Smart AI AgentTM Ecosystem. In doing so, we can assure secure, scalable and sustainable deployments for enterprises across the globe.' 'By collaborating with a global leader in digital transformation like NTT DATA, we will bring our next-generation AI solutions into real-world business applications, with a strong focus on organizations that need the highest standards of data privacy in their AI journey,' said Arthur Mensch, CEO, Mistral AI. In one of the first joint projects, Dennemeyer, a leading full-service global provider for intellectual property (IP) management, has chosen Mistral AI and NTT DATA to develop an AI-driven application for advanced patent searches and analyses, bringing the technical layers to securely run AI workloads.'Dennemeyer continues to be a driving force in the digital transformation of the IP industry; a key aspect of this is strong partnerships with organizations like Mistral AI and NTT DATA, who bring a deep technical understanding of AI and its integration into business processes,' said Brochmann Laurent, Global Chief Digital Officer, Dennemeyer. In another early effort, NTT DATA Luxembourg and Mistral AI will co-develop a sovereign platform in Luxembourg for clients in the regulated financial services and insurance industries. 'This collaboration offers a landmark opportunity to accelerate the adoption of AI across the financial and insurance markets in Luxembourg and beyond,' said Olivier Posty, Head of France and Luxembourg, NTT DATA. 'Together, we're creating a full-stack platform that is ready to host critical financial applications.' * Additional role effective Sept. 1, 2025 About Mistral AI Mistral AI is a pioneer company in generative artificial intelligence, empowering the world with the tools to build and benefit from the most transformative technology of our time. The company democratizes AI through high-performance, optimized, and cutting-edge open-source models, products and solutions as well as end-to-end infrastructure with Mistral Compute. Headquartered in France and independent, Mistral AI defends a decentralized and transparent approach to technology, with a strong global presence in the United States, United Kingdom, and Singapore. About NTT DATA NTT DATA is a $30+ billion trusted global innovator of business and technology services. We serve 75% of the Fortune Global 100 and are committed to helping clients innovate, optimize and transform for long-term success. As a Global Top Employer, we have experts in more than 50 countries and a robust partner ecosystem of established and start-up companies. Our services include business and technology consulting, data and artificial intelligence, industry solutions, as well as the development, implementation and management of applications, infrastructure and connectivity. We are also one of the leading providers of digital and AI infrastructure in the world. NTT DATA is part of NTT Group, which invests over $3.6 billion each year in R&D to help organizations and society move confidently and sustainably into the digital future. Visit us at
Khaleej Times
4 hours ago
- Khaleej Times
Chinese, US officials meet for 2nd day of trade talks in Stockholm
Chinese and US delegations met for their second day of trade negotiations in Stockholm, with both sides said to be aiming to extend a truce due to end in two weeks' time. AFP journalists saw officials from both sides, led respectively by Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng and US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, enter the Swedish government building serving as the talks venue. Neither side has so far made public any information about what has gone on in the talks, which started on Monday. The negotiations are happening in the wake of a US-EU trade deal struck over the weekend that set US tariffs on most EU imports at 15 per cent, but none on US goods going to the EU. The truce between China and the United States, the countries with the worlds two top economies, has temporarily set US duties on Chinese goods at 30 per cent, and Chinese levies on US ones at 10 percent. That accord, reached in Geneva in May, brought down triple-digit tariffs each side had levelled at the other after a trade war sparked by US President Donald Trump spiralled into a tit-for-tat bilateral escalation. The 90-day truce is meant to end on August 12. But there are indications both delegations want to use the Stockholm talks to push the date back further. The South China Morning Post, citing sources on both sides, reported on Sunday that Washington and Beijing are expected to extend their tariff pause by a further 90 days. Trump has threatened to hit dozens of other countries with stiffer tariffs from Friday this week unless they agree to trade deals with Washington. Among them are Brazil and India, which he has warned could be targeted for 50-per cent tariffs. The US leader has already announced deal outlines with five countries —Britain, Vietnam, Japan, Indonesia and the Philippines — as well as the one with the 27-nation EU. Beijing says it wants to see "reciprocity" in its trade with the United States. Foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said dialogue was need "to reduce misunderstandings". The previous round of of China-US talks was held in London. Analysts said many of the trade deals Trump has been publicising were leaning more on optics than on details. Stephen Innes, managing partner at SPI Asset Management, a firm that advises on currency exchange and commodities, said an extension of the 90-day truce between China and the United States could reinforce that view. "That truce could set the stage for a Trump – (President) Xi (Jinping) handshake later this year — another risk-on carrot for markets to chew," he said.
Tahawul Tech
4 hours ago
- Tahawul Tech
Global study by Cisco shows that hyper-personalisation is mission-critical for CX
Cisco has unveiled the findings of its global study on CX, which showed that AI, hyper-personalisation and proactive engagements are going to be key for enterprises looking to ensure that they continue to deliver first-class CX for their customers. Advancements in artificial intelligence, hyper-personalisation, rich communication services, and unified data are expected to enhance customer loyalty and address rising expectations in the Middle East and beyond. For many organisations, delivering an outstanding CX remains a challenge; a global study conducted by Cisco showed that many customers feel let down by the experiences they receive from brands. Only 25% of customers globally said they were very satisfied with their last service engagement—and 94% have abandoned interactions due to poor experiences. To meet growing customer expectations, businesses in the Middle East are leveraging AI, data analytics, and integrated platforms to improve efficiency, drive customer satisfaction, and support sustainable growth. Ahmad Zureiki, Director of Collaboration Business, Cisco Middle East and Africa, commented: 'As customer experience leaders evaluate their investments, it is important to anticipate what's around the corner, assessing how future developments may impact CX strategy and execution. Leaders in CX are approaching AI technology with a clear, strategic focus – one that prioritises customer impact, agent empowerment, and operational efficiency. The widespread adoption of AI will enhance customer experiences and redefine engagement benchmarks, solidifying its role as a vital component of customer service in the region.' AI agents will revolutionise self-service AI agents will redefine self-service by enabling more intelligent, human-like interactions across voice and digital channels. Unlike traditional virtual assistants, these advanced AI-driven agents will engage customers in natural conversations. They ensure faster and more effective resolutions, while freeing human representatives to handle complex or high-value cases. Brands will increasingly tailor these kinds of agents to reflect their unique values, creating more authentic and emotionally resonant experiences. Additionally, the rise of low-code and no-code tools will make AI more accessible, allowing non-technical employees to deploy and refine artificial intelligence solutions easily. With AI adoption accelerating, leading companies are already leveraging AI agents at a significantly higher rate than their competitors, emphasising its role in shaping superior customer experiences. In fact, Cisco's global study showed that 79% of 'CX Leaders' (companies with the highest business performance) have an AI virtual agent, whereas 7% of 'CX Laggards do' (companies typically slower to adopt new ideas, technologies, or trends). Hyper-personalisation will become mission critical for CX AI will revolutionise personalisation by helping organisations extract valuable insights from customer data to anticipate needs, tailor experiences, and drive upsell opportunities. Businesses will leverage AI to create hyper-personalised journeys that seamlessly transition between automated and human-assisted interactions, enhancing CX and fostering long-term loyalty. A key element of this transformation is proactive communication. Brands that engage customers with timely, automated messages will reduce friction, resolve issues before they arise, and strengthen relationships. As AI adoption grows, these proactive, personalized experiences will set new customer expectations, with CX leaders already leveraging AI at a significantly higher rate than their competitors. It is notable that 61% of CX Leaders deliver proactive communications using AI. Rich Communication Services (RCS) adoption will skyrocket Rich Communication Services (RCS) will see a surge in adoption as its support on both iPhone and Android expands its global reach. With its ability to deliver rich media, interactive messaging, and two-way engagement, RCS is poised to become the industry standard for business communication. Brands will leverage its advanced features for promotions, reminders, and seamless interactions while benefiting from improved security through end-to-end encryption and verified sender profiles. As businesses recognize its value, RCS will play a crucial role in building customer trust and elevating digital engagement. CX data will have to become unified Unifying customer data will be essential for delivering AI-driven, hyper-personalised experiences across multiple channels, including RCS. While large organisations face challenges in consolidating data from disparate sources, achieving a holistic customer view will be fundamental to optimizing CX. By integrating data from various systems, businesses will empower AI and human agents with real-time insights, enabling faster resolutions and more seamless interactions. Moreover, a comprehensive understanding of customer needs will maximize AI's potential, allowing brands to anticipate issues, proactively engage customers, and provide trust. With unified data, organisations can identify trends, reduce friction points, and refine experiences at every touchpoint. As the CX landscape and customer expectations continue to evolve, Webex by Cisco is helping to bridge the digital divide with an AI-powered, self-learning contact center that delivers unmatched self-service, empowers agents with essential tools, and connects data to drive real business results. By equipping agents with real-time insights, journey data, and context for each customer, organisations can strive to not only meet but exceed expectations, delivering the best experience, every time.
