Top 10 technologies powering the Olympic and Paralympic Games
Underground Wi-Fi, giant screens, advanced timing systems and cutting-edge sporting equipment
So, here it is. The greatest show on earth is upon us, in our own back yard. After seven years of planning, preparations and a few hurdles, the Olympics Games are about to begin.
With so many celebrations to take place in the coming weeks of human brilliance in the sporting arena it's easy to forget the role that those behind the scenes have played, particularly in technology.
From the front-end to the back-end, from underground Wi-Fi to speed guns that track runners pushing the very limits of human fitness, these are the pieces of kit, developed in fluorescently-lit labs, which will shine on the world stage.
While the athletes, broadcasters and the public at large will pay them little heed, here we pay tribute to these unsung heroes that help come together to provide the UK with the ability to host the 2012 Olympic Games.
10. Wi-Fi will get the world online to share their Olympic experiences
Imagine a world without Wi-Fi. You can't, it's impossible isn't it? Wherever we go there's the endless hunt for Wi-Fi: to access emails, update Twitter and play Draw Something, all on a faster connection and free from the tyranny of the Data Usage Policy - shudder.
The Olympics will be an occasion where the hunt for Wi-Fi will be bigger than ever as tourists look to avoid expensive roaming charges to send pics to Twitter, and loved ones, of themselves at the Games, on the Tube and wandering the streets of London.
Thankfully, numerous projects, including Wi-Fi on the London Underground from Virgin Media, and notable rollouts from O2 across various streets of London will help meet this need from both UK residents and foreigners alike, so there should, hopefully, be plenty of Wi-Fi for everyone.
Top 10 technologies powering the Olympic and Paralympic Games
Underground Wi-Fi, giant screens, advanced timing systems and cutting-edge sporting equipment
9. Mobile internet connections to fill in the Wi-Fi gaps
However, despite the brilliance of Wi-Fi, it can't be everywhere (one day, maybe), so we will have to fall back on 2G and 3G connections (perhaps even 4G if you're lucky enough to live in Southwark) to get our internet fix.
Networks are likely to come under huge strain during the games as thousands more mobile users access the networks which could slow connections down, but if you're just after the latest times and winners rolling from the events, 3G should be fine.
For our European cousins travelling under the sea, they will have the added benefit of being able to access networks on the Channel Tunnel after Alcatel Lucent installed the relevant networking equipment earlier this year.
8. Switches and routers to push huge amounts of data across the site
Behind every great winning athlete is a team of unsung support staff, and so it is true of the Olympics, where the flash interactive scoreboards and underground Wi-Fi hotspots will take the plaudits, but the hardworking, everyday technologies, like switches and routers, will be tirelessly doing their job helping information flow seamlessly across the Olympics Park.
As Cisco revealed earlier this year, it expects its network to handle some 60GB of data every second during the Games, as scores, event listings, video data and other information is pinged around by organisers, broadcasters and others ensuring the smooth operation of the Games, so these pieces of kit are an integral part of the system.
The firm has now installed over 2,000 switches, while it has also put its Catalyst 6500, 3750 and 2960 server products in place, which will be used by BT for the management of communications across the site.
Furthermore, Cisco intends to leave some 20 per cent of the infrastructure behind after the Games, as per an agreement with LOCOG, that will then be used as part of their networking academies in the region, helping train up the next generation of networking specialists.
7. Servers, PCs and laptops, the workhorses of the control centre
It's easy to overlook these pieces of technology, so ingrained in our daily lives have they become: the workhorses of offices and institutions around the world. Yet without them the entire event would not be possible.
For those working in the Games' numerous operations centres, delivering results to the media and organising each event in a huge feat of logistics, they have 12,000 PCs, 900 servers and 1,000 notebooks from Acer behind them.
This should help ensure there are no issues of performance or availability when the event kicks off in earnest on 27 July for the staff manning the organisations control centre in Canary Wharf (pictured).
Top 10 technologies powering the Olympic and Paralympic Games
Underground Wi-Fi, giant screens, advanced timing systems and cutting-edge sporting equipment
6. Atos event management software will fast-track entry for athletes
Getting into the Olympic site is going to be hard, and rightly so. You'll need a ticket, obviously, and ensure you're not wearing any clothing highly branded with rivals of the corporate sponsors, less obviously, and have to pass through stringent security checks.
This is fine for Jo Public, but for those preparing for the 800m final, they need to be able to concentrate on the task in hand, not worry about where they've left their tickets and if what they're wearing will get them banned from the track.
As such, Atos is in charge of an accreditation system that ensures everyone from athletes, to staff and volunteers can access the venue quickly and easily, by connecting with other systems from the police and immigration services for background checks and information.
This should ensure no professional ends up missing their event because of an overzealous security guard telling them to "pull the other one", thinking they're trying to get in using the old "but I'm competing!" trick.
5. Twitter will help spread information faster than a speeding Bolt
Twitter excels during huge events. From the X-Factor to England crashing out of World Cups to breaking news, it provides a platform for the latest results, instant insights, fastest jokes and quickest memes around.
During the Olympics, Twitter is likely to go even more berserk as everyone from Seb Coe to the athletes in the stadium, to those watching trackside offer their perspective on the Games, alongside the millions of armchair fans cooing over Jessica Ennis's supple muscles in the heptathlon.
It'll also be one of the best ways to get updates on the travel situation and locations of key facilities at the main site for those that attend, as well as news of which events are about to start and the whereabouts of famous stars soaking up the atmosphere around the venue.
Top 10 technologies powering the Olympic and Paralympic Games
Underground Wi-Fi, giant screens, advanced timing systems and cutting-edge sporting equipment
4. Big screens to bring the public together to celebrate the Olympics
Is there anything better than sport on a big screen? A huge, whacking great display broadcasting images of Olympian athletes performing incredible feats of fitness just looks so much better when blown up to enormous proportions.
Furthermore, it gives the chance for hundreds, nay, thousands of spectators to gather around and enjoy the events unfolding together, in a huge, communal atmosphere of celebration and excitement.
The large-screens planned for the Olympic site, including one floating on a river that can be viewed from either side, and many more besides, should mean there's no shortage of locations to enjoy the Games with others to cheer on the Great British team.
The main display screen inside the stadium will also play an important role, broadcasting the results of events as they happen, often proving the point to which all eyes are turned after a particularly close 200m event, as all wait with baited breath for the winner to be confirmed.
3. BBC's TV and online coverage to cater for all
Say what you want about the Beeb, but when it comes to the coverage of large events, there's none finer. The Olympics will be a chance for the organisation to shine once again, as it plans to broadcast coverage of every event either on TV or online.
Of course, events like the 100m final will be watched by billions, with V3 suggesting you find yourself the largest HD screen you can to watch the action unfold in under, hopefully, 9.6 seconds.
But for those that enjoy a bit of clay-pigeon shooting, or equestrian, you can turn to the site's online services, and bask in some unbridled coverage of some of the more unique but fascinating sports that come together to make up this most inspiring of events.
Top 10 technologies powering the Olympic and Paralympic Games
Underground Wi-Fi, giant screens, advanced timing systems and cutting-edge sporting equipment
2. Speed guns accurate to hundredths of a second
In the early Olympics, race timings were measured by a man standing at the finish line with a stopwatch that was clicked when the winner brushed the winning tape. How archaic. This obviously meant times were not accurate and the notion of records was a fairly loose concept.
Now, though, we have incredibly accurate speed guns that can capture the moment an athlete crosses the finishing line to within a millisecond, helping ensure every strained sinew is worth the effort - and no more silly tapes either.
In London, this technology will be provided by Omega, the official timekeeper of the Olympics (does this mean they also tell athletes if they're late for a race?), a role it has performed at 25 other Games, including the 1948 London Olympics. How time flies.
1. Sporting equipment technology pushing humans further than ever
It's easy to forget as yet another world record is smashed that the athletes these days have a clear advantage over previous contestants.
The design and build of the equipment now in use has undergone extensive testing and refinement before it is used on the world stage.
Lightweight equipment helps those in events like the javelin or discus achieve greater distances than ever before, while swimming suits have been at the centre of a long-running dispute for some time over just how much aid they give swimmers, with the governing body for the sport, FINA, actually outlawing some designs due to the huge advances they were causing in world records.
Whether technology can be too good, is not something V3 would be able to agree with, but other events, from sprinting to the long jump to archery, continue to evolve, improve and retain our interest because those working in research and development labs discover new ways of building an item that could shave a few more seconds, or add a few more centimetres, to a world record.
This extends to the Paralympics too, where world-famous sprinters like Oscar Pistorius are able to set new records thanks to his bionic artificial limbs.