Olympics will deepen London's pool of IT talent, says 2012 CIO

In addition to skilled IT staff, 2012 Games will give capital a vast fibre-optic network, says Gerry Pennell, CIO for the games' organising committee

At an event today to mark the launch of the Technology Operations Centre (TOC) for the London 2012 Olympic Games, the organisers detailed the extensive legacy of technology infrastructure and skills that will benefit the UK following the event.

BT, the official communications services provider to the Games, said it had extended its fibre optic network to many sites and buildings in the Olympics area, and that this fibre would remain in situ following the Games.

"We've put lots of extra fibre into the ground, and connected up a lot of buildings," said Gary Symes, service director, of BT's London 2012 team.

"We will be speaking to the landlords of these buildings to ask if they want to keep the on-premise equipment following the Games. If not, we have an obligation to remove it and not leave a footprint," he added.

Aside from infrastructure, 405 IT staff have been trained to work in the TOC, and they will gain valuable experience of a fast-paced technology environment from both the testing of systems, taking place currently, and the operational requirements during the Olympics themselves.

Atos is the Games' worldwide information technology partner, and is responsible for the operation of the TOC.

Patrick Adiba, CEO, Iberia, Olympics and Major Events at Atos, said that entry-level workers will gain valuable experience from the TOC.

"We're using the Games as a way to give opportunities to students and graduates to work in a high-pressure operational centre."

Gerry Pennell (pictured), CIO for the London Olympics, said that some IT staff will remain in their positions after the event, while others are on temporary contracts.

"Many staff in the TOC have permanent jobs with the Olympics' technology partners. But my team will largely be unemployed after the Games. We have a programme to help them go on to find work."

He explained that his team would be ideally suited to working for technology startups.

"We're plugged into various initiatives within London's Tech City and UKTI (UK Trade & Investment). My team will be a good match for startups as they have experienced working in a fast-paced environment, and have worked for a team that has grown from small to large in a very short space of time."

The TOC will monitor and control the IT systems used to deliver results from all Olympic and Paralympic competitions. It will also be used as an support centre for IT problems, a communications hub, and cyber security monitoring centre.

In addition, Pennell restated the timeline for testing of each element of the Olympics technology, first provided to Computing in October last year.