Atos Origin, the brains behind the operation

Technology: we all use it and need it, but most of us can barely understand it. The technology that is needed to produce the Summer Games is no different, and is more complicated than most of us could ever comprehend. Luckily Beijing has Atos Origin.

200,000 accreditation badges
The international information technology services company has been working with the Olympic Games since 1992, and this year is no different. Currently Atos Origin is leading a team of over 4,000 IT professionals in order to provide the technical infrastructure for all 75 venues (including the 32 competition venues). Some of the things they are in charge of are providing security against hackers; managing the IT system behind the production of accreditation badges that will be used by 200,000 athletes, volunteers, coaches, officials, staff and media; and supplying the link between partner products. Sounds easy enough? Now consider the fact that there are events taking place in seven different cities across China. Can you imagine the equipment needed to keep everyone in close contact with one another? For this reason, more than 1,000 servers, 10,000 PCs and 4,000 printers are needed for them to do their job.

On schedule, within budget
And just because you can never be too sure, Atos Origin coordinated testing programmes four years prior to the Opening Ceremony in order to ensure the reliability of the system come 8 August 2008. According to Yang Yichun, Director of BOCOG Technology, the hard work has paid off. “As the IT Partner of the Games, Atos Origin has consistently met our expectations and has delivered the IT system and infrastructure on schedule, within budget, and with high quality. The effective transfer of knowledge gained by Atos Origin in previous Games is also very conducive to building, deploying, testing and managing the IT systems for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games.”