Sunderland AFC has partnered with Advantex, the North East’s leading and award-winning technology firm, to further enhance the club’s technology and communications.

Established in 2002, Advantex have not only refreshed the Black Cats’ existing technology, but also created a communications solution that interconnects the entire club – from the box office and club shop, to the Academy of Light and Stadium of Light.

The partnership has seen Advantex introduce a multiple-server-based solution alongside Mitel’s state-of-the-art virtual software to efficiently install a high-availability solution that connects the entire football club with no disruption or downtime.

SAFC now benefits from a 24/7 supported and reliable phone system that allows exceptional communication across numerous club sites, with a full disaster recovery solution also in place to ensure that if an outage occurs, the club remains operational.

Both brands have already seen success from the partnership, with Advantex’s sales and marketing director, Steve O’Connell, explaining: “The partnership with Sunderland AFC is one that we are particularly proud of as a business, and adding such a local brand that is steeped in history to our list of partners is fantastic.

“Having the chance to showcase some of the most innovative technology on the market is always great, but to do it with SAFC is brilliant.”

The club’s business manager accountant, Roger Whitehill, added: “At Sunderland AFC, how we perform off the pitch is equally as important to us as to how we perform on it, and Advantex help us to ensure we always deliver innovative solutions to help us succeed.”

Advantex’s partnership with SAFC is one of many recent wins for the firm, who recently celebrated their 17th anniversary this month and currently employ almost 60 people at their Gateshead-based head office.

The company is a Cisco Premier, Microsoft, and Mitel Silver accredited partner, providing a single source managed services package, which combines to deliver flexibility, added value and cost saving benefits.

And they also work with some of the UK’s biggest and best-known brands, boasting a client list that includes Rockliffe Hall, Newcastle International Airport, Hitachi Rail Europe, Caterpillar Trucks, GE Oil and Gas, Northumberland Estates and END Clothing.