Olympic countdown on: Atos Origin well on track one year before Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games

Vancouver, Canada, Atos Origin, a leading international IT services company and the Worldwide Information Technology (IT) Partner for the Olympic Games, announces today that it is putting the finishing touches on one of the most complex and high profile IT systems in the world. The Games-time IT is made up of 13 systems, working congruently to ensure the smooth operations of the Games while protecting the information from internal and external threats.

Now in the testing phase, Atos Origin has been working feverishly to ensure everything is in place one year from today. “We will deliver the world’s highest profile IT project on time and on budget,” says Magnus Alvarsson, Atos Origin’s Chief Integrator for the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games. “Like the athletes, this complex network of systems must work perfectly from the first moment, in front of three billion people. There is no second chance.”

“With exactly 12 months left to go before the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games, we are pleased to see that the preparation for the IT systems for the Games is moving forward on schedule and solid progress has been made,” said Ward Chapin, Chief Information Officer, at the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC). “Atos Origin has consistently met our expectations in terms of the timeline goals for delivery of the Games IT systems and infrastructure that will support the 2010 Winter Games.”

IT is critical to the delivery of the modern Olympic Games. Atos Origin designs, integrates, manages and secures the Games-time IT providing Core Games Management systems including Transportation, Medical Encounters, Accreditation System and Workforce Management – all needed to stage the Games.

IT is then used to distribute results and background information to the world through the On-Venue Results system, the Commentator Information System and INFO2010 – the Olympic intranet. The entire system is controlled from a room, comparable to NASA’s Mission Control, called the Technology Operations Centre (TOC). The TOC monitors the complex systems for security breaches, technical problems and provides advanced-level help for the IT staff and volunteers.

Alvarsson says part of Atos Origin’s success is because they transfer knowledge forward from previous Olympic Games. “We create a seamless team with the best IT people from over 30 different countries,” says Alvarsson. “We draw on the finest people in the industry to deliver a flawless experience for our client, participants and a world-wide audience.” Alvarsson adds that over 100,000 hours of systems testing will help to protect Atos Origin’s flawless record as the gatekeeper for the 2010 Olympic Winter Games.

The Atos Origin contract with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) is the largest sports related IT contract covering: Salt Lake City in 2002, Athens in 2004, Torino in 2006, Beijing in 2008, Vancouver in 2010 and London in 2012. Atos Origin has primary responsibility for Information Technology, which is related to consulting, systems integration, operations management, information security and software applications development for the Olympic Games.

Atos Origin is an international information technology services company. Its business is turning client vision into results through the application of consulting, systems integration and managed operations. The company’s annual revenues are EUR 5.8 billion and it employs 50,000 people in 40 countries. Atos Origin is the Worldwide Information Technology Partner for the Olympic Games and has a client base of international blue-chip companies across all sectors. Atos Origin is quoted on the Paris Eurolist Market and trades as Atos Origin, Atos Worldline and Atos Consulting.