Nortel's contract to provide the
networking infrastructure for the London 2012 Olympics has been
cancelled and awarded to Cisco.
The decision came after it became clear that Nortel's latest
strategy of selling off key parts of its business meant it would
not be able to honour its contract with Locog - the Games'
organising committee - which spanned Nortel's entire portfolio.
London 2012 CEO Paul Deighton explained: "We continue on a path
to deliver the most connected Games possible. We part with Nortel
on good terms.
"Nortel acknowledges our fixed deadlines and our desire to have
a single supplier for our entire network infrastructure have been
impacted by Nortel's decision to move towards standalone
businesses. This is in no way a reflection of their capabilities -
this is all about meeting our fixed deadlines."
Locog, the organising committee for London 2012, invited Cisco
to bid for the contract in late June. The deal was officially
struck on Friday 10 July 2009.
Cisco now becomes the official network supplier to London 2012
with immediate effect.
"We are delighted to be working with Locog to provide the
network infrastructure for London 2012. In the UK, Cisco enables
businesses, public services and ultimately communities to enhance
the way they operate. We will work hard to deliver the
infrastructure for London 2012, which promises to be the most
connected Games ever," said a diplomatic Phil Smith, Cisco UK and
Ireland CEO.
Nortel did not comment.