Atos Prepping First Full Olympic Cloud -- Sponsor Spotlight

(ATR) For the first time all data needed for the Olympic Games will be available on the cloud.

Atos, the IOC TOP sponsor for information technology, said it will deliver all 2018 Winter Olympics applications with cloud based technologies. Included in this will be live results for all events through the Olympic Distribution network.

Twelve Olympic venues must be connected to the cloud, which will then be connected to media services. The company says that over 100,000 hours of testing will go into Olympic preparations, according to reports, and that results will be delivered 0.3 seconds after the event’s completion.

Testing is ongoing in Atos’ Integration Test Lab in Madrid, Spain, and its Central Technology Operations Center in Barcelona. Both centers will be integrated with an Atos operations center in PyeongChang over the coming year. Atos will then work to replicate the PyeongChang center in Tokyo and Beijing for the next two Olympics.

"One year away from the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018 and we are confident that the technology is right on track," Patrick Adiba, chief commercial officer Olympics & Major Events at Atos, said in a statement. "Performing all the testing remotely via the Atos Cloud strengthens our motivation to deliver our personal best to ensure a successful Games in 2018 and share in the PyeongChang 2018 slogan: Passion. Connected."

BOA Partners with Travel, Ticketing Agency

The British Olympic Association is teaming up with Sports Travel and Hospitality Group (STH) to provide fans of Team Great Britain with "unrivaled access" to their Olympic and Paralympic heroes.

The official launch of the partnership will take place in mid-2017 ahead of the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympics. The partnership, dubbed Team GB Live, will provide fans with new ways to engage with Team GB athletes, official travel packages to the next Olympics in South Korea in 2018 and Japan in 2020 as well as exclusive Olympic ticket packages.

"This is another fantastic addition to our already strong roster of partners," says BOA chief executive officer Bill Sweeney. "In creating this new partnership, we aim to offer a range of opportunities for our fans, from single tickets for sought-after events to full hospitality packages and a unique insight into the Olympic Games."

"The creation of these new experiences will provide a unique opportunity for Team GB fans to engage with the team and will be the first of its kind in this country," STH Group chief executive officer Simon Jefford added. "This new venture will put supporting Team GB athletes at the heart of our offer."

The PyeongChang 2018 Winter Games are now less than a year away beginning on Feb. 9 and concluding on Feb. 25.

Paris 2024 Commits to Sustainable Games with Shuttle Launch

Paris 2024 sponsor Régie Autonome des Transports Parisiens (RATP) launched its first electric, driver-less buses to support the 2024 bid's initiative to provide the most sustainable Games ever.

Testing of the buses have already begun and will be available to transport athletes and spectators to and from Olympic events should Paris win the bid.

The shuttles will reduce the total carbon footprint of the city and in turn make it less than that of London 2012 and Rio 2016.

"Paris is a city committed to addressing climate change. This implies having attractive public transport for residents and visitors," Mayor of Paris Anne Hildago said in a statement.

"The introduction of autonomous electric shuttles, which has just begun in Paris, shows what public transport will be in Paris in 2024: based on new technologies, even more efficient, fast, regular, accessible to all [the] public and respectful of the environment."

RATP is one of 17 sponsors supporting the 2024 Paris bid.

Both ATP and WTA Renew Partnership Deals

Both the men’s and women’s professional tennis tours have agreed to new sponsorship deals with key partners.

The ATP has renewed its agreement with FedEx Express while the WTA has extended its global sponsorship with Dubai Duty Free.

Under its deal with the ATP, FedEx will continue as a global Platinum Partner of the ATP World Tour through 2019.

"We share many values with this globally popular sport, such as speed, precision, anticipation and service," said Rajesh Subramaniam, FedEx EVP of Global Marketing and Communications, in a statement.

"With this year’s addition of the Dubai and Rio de Janeiro tournaments to our sponsorship, we expect to reach an even wider global audience of millions of fans through television and other media."

"Our partnership with FedEx has delivered great results since 2010. We’re thrilled that FedEx has had such a positive experience and will continue its sponsorship," Chris Kermode, ATP Executive Chairman and President, said in a statement.

Besides continuing as a premier sponsor of the WTA Tour, Dubai Duty Free will also retain its role as the owner, organizer and title sponsor of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championship, a WTA Premier tournament which takes place each February.

Additionally, Dubai Duty Free will continue to operate its player ambassador program and cover sponsorship of the WTA’s year-end world number one singles and doubles awards.

Steve Simon, the WTA’s chief executive and chairman, said in a statement "Dubai Duty Free has provided its unwavering support for women’s tennis and we look forward to this next chapter together in growing the sport even more."

The length of the renewal of the WTA's agreement with Dubai Duty Free, which has been a WTA sponsor since 2004, was not disclosed.

Written by Aaron Bauer,Kevin Nutley,Courtney Colquitt andGerard Farek

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