article imageDigital Journal TV: Inside the Technology Powering the Olympic Games

By Chris Hogg.
Subscribe to author
Published Aug 7, 2008 by  Chris Hogg - 24 votes, 6 comments
Share on Facebook  
Listen - Email - Print
Recipient email:
You can enter up to 10 comma-separated email addresses.
Your email:
optional
Message:
optional

When an athlete crosses the finish line, how do final lap times get published in less than one second? What goes on behind the scenes to keep the Games running smoothly? This is your look at 4,000-member team who doesn't compete in any sporting events.
Digital Journal -- With the world's largest sporting event kicking off in Beijing, billions of people around the world will flock to China or their TV sets and the Internet to get updates on their country's Olympic medal count.
But how often do you think about the technology needed to get stats out to a global audience in the same amount of time it takes you to blink? What about the IT infrastructure required to ensure the Games run without glitches? And who updates the Olympic website?
Enter Atos Origin, an international IT services company that is the tech lifeline of the Olympic Games.
Powered by a 4,000-strong IT team, Atos has been setting up for the last four years in anticipation of this year's Games in Beijing. They are responsible for ensuring competition results are delivered worldwide in less than 0.3 seconds, and they run the invisible system that powers the global demand for statistics measured in fractions of a second.
In this episode of Digital Journal TV, we take you behind the scenes of this global sporting powerhouse to give you a glimpse of the tech backbone of the Games. Find out how many computers are needed to run the media and visitor centers in the country; how much testing is needed to make sure this meeting of the world goes off without a hitch; and details about the international company that you won't see competing on the track.
article:258271:24::0

Virtual goods now a $5-billion global industry

With minutes to go before the end of the day, you visit Facebook and send out a quick birthday cake to a friend. It's $1 for the virtual icon that is simply displayed on their page. Sound silly? Well, these types of transactions are now worth billions.
Published 14 hours ago by  KJ Mullins in Internet | 1 comment

What Facebook, Twitter, PayPal can teach us about going viral Special

Going viral isn't a finger-snap way to achieve mass popularity. In fact, as author Adam L. Penenberg explains to Digitaljournal.com, some of the top tech companies found viral success by creating a product that had to be shared to be useful.
Published 16 hours ago by  David Silverberg in Internet | 1 comment

TopFinds: Investigating Dental Health in U.S., Rihanna Speaks Out

The dental health insurance controversy in the U.S. The shocking mass killing at Fort Hood, Texas. Rihanna breaks her silence about domestic abuse. These are the top stories making headlines around the world.
Published Nov 6, 2009 by  David Silverberg in Internet

Alleged Orlando Shooter Apprehended

According to Orlando police, Orlando shooting suspect Jason Rodriguez has been captured without incident. Rodriguez was captured at his mother's house around 2:20 this afternoon.
Published Nov 6, 2009 by  Joe Gullo in Crime | 1 comment

Figure skater Elvis Stojko marks beginning of music career

Elvis Stojko, a two-time Olympic silver medalist, released the first single from his new album "100 Lifetimes" yesterday. It marks the beginning of the skating champion's music career.
Published Nov 6, 2009 by  Kevin Jess in Entertainment
apis-129186 apis-129159 apis-129155 apis-129156 apis-129148
Email:
Password:
Remember meForgot password?