French IT company Atos has signed a deal to extend its status as the IT services partner for the Olympic Games until 2024, according to the Reuters news agency.
Atos has enjoyed a relationship with the International Olympic Committee since 1989 and was awarded the contract at the conclusion of a bidding process. “The IOC wanted a company that can best serve the ideals and interests of the Olympic Movement, both from an economic standpoint and by embracing new technologies to ensure the smooth and efficient organisation of the Olympic Games,” Atos said in a statement.
The service provider agreement is separate to Atos’ status as one of the IOC’s TOP sponsorship partners. Atos and nine other international companies have paid in the region of $1bn (€735m) for exclusive Olympic marketing rights relating to the four-year cycle that covers winter and summer Games.
Atos’ TOP sponsor agreement with the IOC runs until the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. Other TOP sponsors including Coca-Cola and McDonald’s have deals running until the 2020 Games in Tokyo, and the IOC will review its marketing programme before entering into any such agreements going beyond this point.