Paris 2024: Unaffected by Atos’ internal problems
The French group, which provides essential services for the Games, is in decline and in the process of being sold. It has been an IOC partner since Salt Lake City in 2002 and it is responsible for managing 300,000 accreditations. Nevertheless, Tony Estanguet, head of the Paris 2024 organising committee, has “full confidence in Atos.”
The head of the Paris 2024 organising committee, Tony Estanguet, said on Wednesday that the Atos Olympic teams were working and insisted: “What happens at the top of the group has no impact whatsoever on us.”
Paris Olympics organisers insist the Games will not be affected by the current problems at Atos, the French IT services group that provides essential services to the Games and has been an IOC partner since Salt Lake City in 2002.
Atos has been trying to sell off parts of the heavily indebted group without success. The company continues to lose money as its shares fall.
The International Olympic Committee said Thursday in a statement reported by AFP: “We have full confidence that Atos, which has been a partner of the Olympic movement for 30 years and has unique expertise, will honour the contract that binds it to the IOC and therefore to Paris 2024.”
The Paris 2024 organisers have announced a press visit to the Games’ Technical Operations Centre at the end of March.
Atos is responsible for the real-time collection and delivery of competition results and the integration of other technology partners.
These include telecommunications company Orange, digital services company Intel, telecommunications equipment provider Cisco, timekeeping company Omega and audio and video company Panasonic.
Their role is the key to making the whole system work. Atos insists that around 300 of its 110,000 employees will be working 24 hours a day, seven days a week throughout the Games. They will be working on an exclusive basis for the event.
One of its units, Eviden, will work with the French National Agency for Cyber Security (ANSSI) to prevent attacks on the Games’ information systems. The Games are expected to face eight to ten times more cyber attacks than the Tokyo 2021 Games.
“Of course we have to pay particular attention to any difficulties the company might have, but I haven’t seen any warning signs about the group’s situation that could affect the security of the games,” said Vincent Strubel, ANSSI’s CEO, in an interview in Le Figaro, also reported by AFP. “We are monitoring them closely to make sure there are no problems. But as of today, there are none,” he assured.
Atos has debts of around €3.65 billion ($4 billion) and its share price has fallen by 80 percent since last summer, valuing the group at just €200 million despite annual revenues of €11 billion.
Talks to sell its big data and security business to Airbus for between €1.5 billion and €1.8 billion collapsed on Tuesday, adding to concerns. In February, Atos failed to reach an agreement to sell part of its business to Czech businessman Daniel Kretinsky.