International Olympic Committee (IOC) TOP sponsors Atos and Panasonic will combine to jointly develop technology-based solutions for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games, it has been announced.
Tokyo-based Atos, an Official Worldwide Olympic Partner since the Salt Lake 2002 Winter Games, has long added its expertise to informational technology systems used at Olympic Games, while Panasonic has been a contributor to the Movement since becoming an TOP Partner in the Audio Visual category at Calgary 1988.
The two companies will pool their collective resources to create new business synergies, with this particularly involving AV security systems, as well as electronic visual display mechanisms, including digital signage to be placed in the stadiums during Tokyo 2020.
This will specifically address various themes, including more sophisticated multilingual digital displays, it has been explained.
“Since both Panasonic and Atos are signed as Official Worldwide Olympic and Paralympic Partners through 2024, we hope that they will continue to utilize the new technologies developed under this agreement, to support the Olympic Movement and its future operations,” said IOC Technology Director Jean-Benoit Gauthier.
A similar endorsement for the “joint development initiative” was provided by
Timo Lumme, Managing Director of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Television and Marketing Services, with the new Olympic Television channel, agreed upon by the IOC membership in Monte Carlo earlier this month, one potential area for collaboration.
This comes after a year in which the IOC, under new President Thomas Bach, has sought to maximize its collaboration with the TOP sponsors, with Panasonic and Atos among those to have extended their respective partnerships until 2024.
Taking advantage of new technological opportunities is another key aim, with the IOC having also recently announced plans to work with Atos to enable larger-scale usage of cloud-based technologies at Rio 2016 and beyond.
The latest partnership is a further example of both of these aims.
“We are confident this collaboration will take Tokyo 2020 to a whole new level of success by connecting the Olympic Games to a new generation of viewers, spectators and participants amid a rapidly changing digital landscape,” said Atos K.K Managing Director, Tatsuya Kamimura.
“Atos brings to this partnership our wealth of experience with the IOC as key technology provider and our track record for consistently delivering on an extraordinary scale for the Games and under scrutiny of the entire world.
“Together with Panasonic, we will rise to the occasion for Tokyo to create a new chapter in the history of the Games in 2020.”
Masahiro Ido, Executive Officer of Panasonic and Director of Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Enterprise Division, added, “We are excited about this agreement with Atos, as we believe that this partnership will be a vital element in making the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games the most memorable one in history.
“By uniting the IT technology of Atos and the AV technology of Panasonic, we offer further commitment to the success of the Tokyo 2020 Games and hope to leave a lasting legacy.”
This article was republished with permission from the original publisher, insidethegames.