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ChallengeThe core of the Volvo Ocean Race team effort is the design and implementation of the race, and also to broadcast 24 hours per day. On the ocean, the race uses satellite communications. In-shore and during in-port races, Volvo Ocean Race uses mobile. Prior to using Truphone, the teams managed between five and twelve devices per person. Ensuring continuity of communications and managing costs were a major concern.

Volvo Ocean Race is sailing’s biggest, most extreme offshore race in the world, covering four oceans and five continents, eleven countries and nearly 80,000 kilometres. The racing team needed a communications partner who could ensure the highest standards regardless of where they were in the world.

Cost predictability

Previously, costs were so unwieldy it required two fulltime employees just to manage the costs and the suppliers. Bill shock was inevitable. With Truphone, low monthly shareable bundles with additional global add-ons meant costs became manageable and predictable, month on month. Suppliers and locals in a variety of destinations were free to call using eight local numbers, embedded into a single SIM with total user transparency, a clear advantage for contactability and collaboration.

Benefits

Close to 300 race employees experienced Truphone’s ground-breaking solution; giving them complete freedom to collaborate for the duration of the eight month long race. This was a total game-changer for the racing team. Another major boost was Truphone’s ability to have local technical and service support in most of their key stop-overs: Spain, Hong Kong, Australia, USA, Portugal, and the Netherlands.

“ We have always sought to have a mobile with multiple international numbers, sharing a voice plan and data between team members. Truphone not only provides the solution but also significant cost savings and a support team dedicated to meet our needs, wherever we are.”

Jordi Neves, Technology Director of the Volvo Ocean Race

“We have employees travelling around the world and race suppliers on five continents. It is crucial that we can be online 24 hours a day, with no surprises. In this years’ race, we've had a partner who is able to ensure mobility to match this extreme effort, worldwide.”Knut Frostad, CEO of Volvo Ocean Race

Truphone solutionTruphone was the only provider who could address the challenges of the racing team, providing a single shared plan that could be used across all users, all the race locations, working in five continents and managing the fluctuating requirements of different parts of the crew. Each user had one SIM, one voicemail and eight international numbers, regardless of the destination, meaning everyone was in control of thier mobile communications - critical to the smooth running of race operations.

Volvo Ocean RaceThe ultimate sailing race needed the world’s best global mobile solution