PARIS: Organisers of the Paris Olympics are reassuring the public that the upcoming games will not be affected by the financial troubles facing French computer services group Atos, a key provider of essential services for the event. Despite failed attempts to sell off parts of the heavily indebted group and ongoing financial losses, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has expressed confidence in Atos’s ability to fulfill its obligations for Paris 2024.
The head of the Paris organising committee, Tony Estanguet, has confirmed that Atos’s Olympic teams are operational and that the turmoil within the company has not impacted the preparations for the games. In an effort to dispel any doubts, the organisers have pledged to organize a press visit to the games’ Technology Operations Center by the end of March.
Atos has been a technology partner of the IOC since the Salt Lake City winter games in 2002, responsible for managing accreditation, compiling real-time competition results, and integrating other tech partners such as Orange, Intel, Cisco, Omega, and Panasonic. The company plays a crucial role in ensuring the smooth operation of various technological aspects of the Olympics.
Preventing Cyberattacks
As part of its commitment to the Paris Olympics, Atos has allocated 300 employees out of its 110,000 workforce to work around the clock during the games. In collaboration with the French Cybersecurity Agency (ANSSI), Atos’s Eviden unit will be actively involved in safeguarding the games’ information systems from potential cyber threats, which are expected to be significantly higher than those faced during the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.
Vincent Strubel, the director general of ANSSI, has emphasized the importance of vigilance in light of Atos’s financial challenges but has stated that there are currently no indications that these issues will impact the security measures put in place for the games. ANSSI is closely monitoring the situation to ensure the safety and integrity of the technology used during the Olympics.
Despite Atos’s substantial debt of around €3.65 billion and a sharp decline in its share price, discussions to sell its big data and security operations to Airbus for an estimated €1.5 billion to €1.8 billion have recently collapsed. Previous attempts to sell some of its operations to Czech businessman Daniel Kretinsky also ended without an agreement.
In conclusion, the Paris Olympics organisers are confident in Atos’s ability to deliver essential technological services for the games, unaffected by the company’s financial challenges. With dedicated teams working on cybersecurity measures and ongoing monitoring by relevant authorities, the organisers are optimistic about the successful execution of the technological aspects of the upcoming Olympics.
Source: The Star
