Sports Technology & Communications News from Around the World

The Chicago Fire has partnered with CommerceTel (News - Alert) to facilitate mobile marketing tactics such as voting, text alerts, and special offers.

"We are excited to work with the Chicago Fire. They are aggressively using mobile and social tactics to engage fans and build relationships," said Michael Falato, vice president of sales & business development of CommerceTel's newly acquired Txtstation subsidiary, in a statement.

CommerceTel is a provider of proprietary mobile marketing technologies and the inventor of C4, a unique, enterprise-grade platform empowering brands to engage mobile consumers via multiple channels.

The only system of its kind, C4 is a cloud-based solution providing broad mobile communications and extensive CRM features. It is integrated with multiple tier-one PSTN/ IP carriers and micropayment processing facilities, as well as with carrier premium SMS billing systems.

Thanks to CommerceTel's C4 and Txtstation Pro web-based platforms, the Fire will now be equipped to deliver HD-quality graphics and animations to screens, whether it is broadcast, stadium boards, or digital signage.

"We're constantly seeking new ways to entertain, engage, and build databases to communicate with our fan base in English and in Spanish," said Emigdio Gamboa, vice president of marketing of the Chicago Fire.

"Txtstation and CommerceTel have given us the tools that provide the flexibility of utilizing a variety of mobile interfaces to achieve that goal," said Gamboa.

The Chicago Fire Soccer Club was founded on October 8, 1997 as a Major League Soccer expansion team. The Fire won the MLS Cup in its inaugural season in 1998 and was crowned the champion of U.S. Soccer's national tournament, the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, in 1998, 2000, 2003 and 2006. In June 2006, the Fire moved into its world-class home of TOYOTA PARK, located in Bridgeview, IL.