Having e-commerce enabled the 94.7 Cycle challenge on the November 21 and the 5fm Energade International Triathlon Series, SA-Active.co.za, a local interactive sports, health and fitness events community, is gearing up to provide online services for the Investec Tour - Durban 2000, and other major competitive events. This will take the company a step further in its goal to Internet-enable sportsmen and women. SA-Active.co.za is currently providing a number of Web-based services using Lotus` Notes and Domino client and server applications, thereby making it easier for competitors to access information regarding events within their fields.
Jason Egnal, director at SA-Active.co.za, says that providing e-services which enable on-line entry and travel bookings makes the process of entering a competition and competing that much easier.
Egnal and his colleagues, Stephen Wingate-Pearse and Antony Wegener, are recreational cyclists and triathletes and have had first-hand experience of the logistical problems involved in entering, travelling to and competing in these events.
"Previously, competitors had to battle to find the entry forms, post them, and book travel and accommodation on their own. Very often then entry forms and their cheques would disappear or arrive late. Now all the relevant information is as close as their computer screen," he says.
Douglas Ryder, Lotus Partner sales executive and IBM/Lotus Professional Cycling team captain, says: "It is difficult to quantify an increase in numbers of participants for events, but with one site hosting racing calendars, offering entry forms online and opportunities for discussion with pros like the IBM/Lotus team, it makes taking part in these events more enjoyable and less of a task."
Steve Dunbar, marketing manager at Lotus Development SA, says, "The collaborative capabilities of Lotus Notes make it easy to work with different people in different geographic environments. It also makes customer management and interaction with clients more efficient and streamlines the entire work process."
What this means for sport is not only increased exposure but, as Egnal stresses, it provides a medium that increases interaction and also enables participants to purchase equipment and kit from suppliers in a one-stop market place.
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