Jeremy Hunt dropped into the LOCOG offices to discuss the importance of technology at the Games
Jeremy spent over an hour touring some of the key
technology facilities that will be used to support the critical IT
infrastructure behind the scenes at the Games. He was very interested in the systems we will use to capture competition
results and how they will be sent, in real time, to journalists and
broadcasters around the world.
He then took the time to tell us how he perceives the role technology plays in an event as big as the Olympic Games.
One of the things he said that stuck out in my mind was
that there was that ‘technology is the glue that holds the Games together’, in
that so many critical elements of the Games are dependent on tested, reliable
technology that just needs to work.
He also noted that there is a paradox at the heart of what the Technology team does: success for our team is that we are invisible. While that is something we always keep in the back of our minds, it was really refreshing to hear it from someone on the outside!
The floor was then opened to questions, which ranged from
lighter ones like what his favourite sport (football) and favourite gadget
(an app called Press Reader) are, to more serious ones about how technology will
play a role in the legacy of the 2012 Games.
On this he was very optimistic about the transformation of the Olympic Park into a hub for businesses in the UK’s high-tech sector. Jeremy confirmed that the Games will be the perfect showcase for all of the talent and technology that the UK has to offer.
An inspiring meeting, leaving us even more motivated to
work hard and test, test, test to make sure everything is working in just over a
year’s time.
Come Games time, hopefully you’ll just be amazed at all the Olympic records flashing up on the scoreboards. You won’t know we’re here at all.
