Atos Origin will continue providing IT services to theOlympicsuntil 2016, the company announced
yesterday.
It has extended its contract with the International Olympic
Committee to include the 2016 summer games and the 2014 Sochi
winter games in Russia.
Atos Origin has been the main IT services partner at the
Olympics since 2002 and has been involved with the Olympics for 20
years. It said the contract is the world's biggest sports IT
deal.
The company provides some of the event's main systems, such as
the commentator information system, which relays information direct
from each game to the media.
It also acts as the
chief integrator, ensuring that the systems of all the
suppliers work well together.
Atos Origin first provided systems for the Salt Lake City games
in 2002, followed by Turin in 2006 and Beijing in 2008.
Jacques Rogge, president of the International Olympic Committee,
said, "Atos Origin, our long-term partner, is the brains behind the
technology operations for the Olympic Games.
"The Beijing Olympic Games were spectacular and Atos Origin
provided a crucial role in ensuring the success of the event from a
technological perspective."
Atos Origin CEO Thierry Breton said the company is well-placed
to deal with the demands of such a big contract after collecting
several years' of experience. "As part of our mission for the
Olympic Games, we are committed to delivering excellence and will
continue to further improve our service from one Olympiad to the
next," he said.