Games without frontiers

Whilst the starter’s pistol hasn’t quite been taken out of the box, the clock is now ticking for the UK’s small to medium sized technology businesses looking to bid for contracts and provide the enabling technologies that will power the London 2012 Olympic games. Indeed, this major sporting event will provide a tremendous opportunity for UK electronics providers to participate and showcase their products and services on the world’s biggest and most prestigious sporting stage. However, the challenge facing the industry is to identify clearly the expectations of the venues, hosts, participants, sponsors and contractors in order to deliver not only a memorable sporting event, but also memorable customer service for visitors, participants, hosts and sponsors. Ashley Evans, ceo of the Electronics Knowledge Transfer Network (EKTN) claims technology will be the enabler that will deliver a level of customer service never seen before at any global event. “Technologies that today are either emerging or at the early stage of adoption will be mainstream, will have redefined consumer and customer habits and behaviour and will be placing new demands on our infrastructure and networks,” he began. Not surprising, given what technology has delivered into our lives over the past decade, but how can the UK’s small to medium sized technology businesses can engage with the procurement teams of two organisations from where purchase orders will flow: the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games (LOCOG); and the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA)?