powering productive workplaces
Front page
InterviewUC&C9 Jul 2019 · 2 min read

Out Loud: Mitel the Sports Technology Specialists

Mitel’s sports tech role with MLB, Liverpool FC and Tottenham Hotspur shows why fan experience, stadia and IoT matter.

Mitel sports technology specialists

Patrick is joined by special guest Richard Roberts, who is Vice President of Sales for the UK and Ireland at Mitel.

[caption id="attachment_22074" align="alignleft" width="300"]Richard Roberts outisde the London Stadium ahead of MLB's London Series Richard Roberts outside the London Stadium ahead of MLB's London Series[/caption]

Richard first explains the relationship that Mitel have with Major League Baseball. Communication technology plays an intrinsic role within the fabric of baseball providing various different avenues for direct discussion between the teams, coaching staff and officials. Richard tells Patrick that providing insight for all the stakeholders, including fans, is vital to providing great entertainment.

Mitel have taken huge steps to ensure that it has a deep understanding of the processes and nuances of baseball allow it to provide technology solutions that are truly effective and maintain the integrity of the sport. Patrick and Richard also discuss the different aspects of technology provision within mainstream sport.

"When we do deliver the right technology, it really does insert itself seamlessly into the fabric of the game."

Technology plays various roles both within the game itself but also in the background as it would within any other business. Sports teams and environments have a rather unique model effectively encompassing various micro businesses all functioning independently to provide the overall experience. Richard tells Patrick how important fan experiences are to ensuring the continued success of sports teams.

Mitel work with other sporting organisations globally including football, or soccer, teams such as Liverpool FC and Tottenham Hotspur. Brands and reputations are important within business generally but are arguably even more important for sports teams. Making sure that reputations are protected, and enhanced, is vital to ensuring that fan bases are grown off the pitch which in turn is reflected in the investments that can be made to boost team performance itself.

Patrick also asks Richard about Mitel's work with Tottenham Hotspur on the development of their new £1 billion stadium. Technology was at the core of the design and ensuring future proofing was a key consideration. Making sure that fan experience is constantly evaluated and improved is a must considering the pace of innovation.

"You need to stay on your toes, the pace of technology change has never been greater."

Finally Patrick asks Richard what the future holds for technology systems within sport. Richard tells Patrick that the possibilities are huge. He provides Patrick with examples around the use of IoT devices within stadia that could allow companies to dramatically improve fan experiences on match days.

Listen on your daily commute, whilst walking the dog, or in the gym. UC Today – Out Loud provides bite size podcasts, bringing you all of the latest communication and collaboration news.

Rate, review, share on Apple Podcasts, and Buzzsprout, and join the conversation on LinkedIn, Twitter and email.

Presenter Patrick Watson and special guest Richard Roberts from Mitel.

rate this story
helps rank stories across uc today
The discussion0 takes · attributed & checked

Does this reflect your experience?

opening the room…
Read nextordered by techtelligence · every pick explained
same beat · UC&C

GoTo CX Complete: Is GoTo Building the SMB AI-Powered UC+CC Layer Before Rivals Catch Up?

13 Aug 2026
matches this topicEnterprise Connect 2026 Is Almost Here — Here’s What You Need to Know Before Vegas2 Mar 2026matches this topicFrom ZoomMate to Zoom Spaces: How Zoom Is Building an Intelligent Workplace12 Aug 2026