AFL's Carlton buys into cloud integrator Fronde

One of the channel’s fastest-growing cloud integrators has formed a strategic partnership with the Carlton Football Club.

Trans-Tasman IT provider Fronde has become a platinum sponsor of Carlton, while the football club has taken a stake in Fronde. The size of the shareholding was not revealed.

Fronde said the high-profile partnership would accelerate its growth plans by giving it access to Carlton’s influential business network and its 40,000 members. For Carlton, the benefit is the access it gains to Fronde technology, as well as a possible financial return.

Fronde has offices in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Auckland, Wellington and Manila. Its Australian business placed No.11 in the 2015 CRN Fast50 with 99.13 percent growth to hit $11.1 million for the 2015 financial year.

Chairman Jon Mayson said Fronde was excited to partner with one of the AFL’s blue bloods.

“The club’s network of supporters includes many business leaders and influencers that will likely be interested to learn how Fronde’s unique IP and capabilities in cloud, software, IT managed services and digital solutions could help to transform their business,” he said.

This is the second big tech deal Carlton has signed in the past fourth months, after it brought on ZTE as a platinum sponsor in November.