Consistent Data Protection around the Clock

Sportradar provides sports data services to media companies, bookmakers, sports federations and state authorities. Protecting data integrity is key to maintaining customer trust, and ensuring Sportradar stays in compliance with gambling regulations and data protection rules in the 80+ countries it operates in.

The initial scope of work with SoftwareONE was to upgrade Office 365 to Microsoft 365 licenses. In addition, SoftwareONE has delivered its Managed 365 Security service to Sportradar; including initial set up and configuration of Microsoft 365 (such as Azure ATP, Windows Defender Antivirus and Exchange Online Protection), also covering Identity and Access Management, Threat Protection, and Device Protection.

SoftwareONE is also delivering a customized Adoption & Change Management program to Sportradar, supporting the rollout of Microsoft 365 staff training to improve uptake and ROI.

Sportradar is a global leader in delivering sports data and content to media companies, sports federations, and the betting industry. It employs 2,700 workers – 700 of which are developers – across its 35 global offices.

Sportradar monitors and delivers insights through its data-mining cloud-based solution, providing analytical sport data on players and games to more than 1,000 companies in over 80 countries. From collaborating with multi-national federations to track anti-doping data and test results, to delivering data for betting purposes, Sportradar prides itself on data availability and sheer speed of delivery to its customers.

As this includes betting organizations, Sportradar is also subject to various gambling regulations worldwide – including the Gambling Commission in the UK, federal and state regulations in the US, local rules in APAC, and the ISO270001 framework.

Sportradar had begun its digital transformation initiative when COVID-19 added urgency to the project. The team focused on security as its main priority to assure a safe and productive work-from-home experience that kept the business running effectively and in real time.

Sportradar must maintain constant vigilance to prevent data breaches, protect its reputation, and assure compliance. However, rapid growth through acquisition added complexity to its IT infrastructure. For the SOC team, that meant round-the-clock monitoring, which put a strain on resources.

In addition, the company’s growth added various tools, devices, and software programs across the business. So, Sportradar decided to bring staff under a common platform – Microsoft 365. The change would minimize risks of vulnerability blind spots and further improve endpoint protection by logging workers’ devices and assessing their access levels.

Operating in 80+ countries, an essential part of the project was to create a tailored approach for employees in different regions that could respond to account-specific cultural sensitivities. Also, while adopting Microsoft 365 and working to ensure robust security, the company recognized the importance of bringing all employees on board from the beginning.

In addition, Sportradar’s 700-strong developer team was accustomed to using favored tools and communication channels, such as Slack. So, Sportradar wanted to ensure developers could still use preferred tools while maintaining standards of innovation and security for IP and all devices. Working to integrate Microsoft 365 into their existing workflows meant that uptake was high, and did not disrupt DevOps.

Sportradar engaged SoftwareONE to consult on upgrading its Office 365 licenses and procurement of Microsoft 365 licensing. The project supported migration of 2,700 seats under a Microsoft E5 license to a common platform. SoftwareONE ensured Sportradar had the correct licensing model and helped migrate to Exchange Online and deploy SharePoint.

SoftwareONE helped Sportradar deploy and configure Microsoft 365 security controls and policies to ensure robust device security and secure file sharing. This improved threat detection, data security, anti-malware, and anti-spam. It secured devices and restricted access to confidential documents to prevent both intentional and accidental leaking of data.

SoftwareONE is now an extension of Sportradar’s security team through its Security Operations Center (SOC). Around 40 SoftwareONE analysts triage security alerts for risky logins, malware policy violations, and suspicious access or activity in cloud applications. The 24/7 SOC can conduct automated or manual investigations to determine the scope and cause of an attack, providing actionable recommendations for remediation. This enables the SOC to react faster to detected threats, minimizing business impacts.

For ongoing support, SoftwareONE provides its Adoption and Change Management process, developing training sessions to show staff the security and productivity benefits of Microsoft 365 while guiding staff through the adoption process.

• Proactive approach to security: SoftwareONE’s 24/7 Security Operations Center team has reduced lead time to resolve security incidents. There are fewer false positives, as the SOC team prioritizes and escalates only the most severe incidents to Sportradar analysts.
  
• Device and access management: Sportradar can effectively manage company devices with robust password policies and a clear understanding of who holds what device and their level of access. This ensures employees have the latest features and that any vulnerabilities are identified and resolved.
  
• Ensuring compliance: Working with SoftwareONE to enhance security has made it simpler for Sportradar to comply with the regulations it faces in different regions, including the Gambling Commission in the UK, federal and state regulations in the US, local rules in APAC, and the ISO270001 framework.
  
• Rapid ROI: After initial 2020 conversations, it took just ten weeks to get Sportradar live with the SoftwareONE SOC team – two months ahead of schedule. Sportradar reduced the tools in use for immediate savings.
  
• Long-term savings: With support from 40 analysts in the SoftwareONE SOC, Sportradar has a level of security coverage equivalent to 8-12 full time-staff. Sportradar also saved money and time making new hires.
  
• Improved productivity: Bringing everyone onto the same platform has further boosted Sportradar employees’ productivity – including the hundreds of developers who were initially resistant to change. All have access to OneDrive and can store data in the cloud, share documents safely, and reduce time to access information while furthering collaboration.
  
• Strong employee take-up of new tools: Thanks to SoftwareONE’s customized training program and messaging around the principles and approaches for using Microsoft 365, adoption of the tools has been high. Sportradar was able to tailor messaging for the differing attitudes of its global workforce, articulating benefits to employees across cultures.