TORINO, Italy, March 1, 2006 — Lenovo, the computing equipment sponsor of the XX Olympic Winter Games in Torino, today announced that its personal computing solution successfully delivered error-free support for all competitions and events during the Games.
“The Olympic Games are entirely dependent on a robust and innovative technology foundation,” said Gerhard Heiberg, executive board member and chairman of the marketing commission, International Olympic Committee. “Lenovo successfully stepped up to the challenge and delivered world caliber hardware and technicians to help run these Games.”
The Lenovo PC solution included more than 6,000 pieces of personal computing equipment deployed throughout Torino and mountain venues. With the help of 60 Lenovo engineers onsite, the systems ran for more than 360 hours over 16 days without delays in service during the Games. In collaboration with other technology sponsors, Lenovo computing equipment distributed data and results from more than 200 competitions and events in real-time to media and Olympic Games audiences throughout the world. Sixty-two of these competitions, including the opening and closing ceremonies, operated using Lenovo products outside in sub-zero temperatures, including 60 events in mountain venues.
“The Torino Olympic Winter Games have provided us with a platform to successfully demonstrate and communicate the value of our brand to a global audience,” said William J. Amelio, Chief Executive Officer, Lenovo. “Our flawless execution at the Games has created momentum for us in the global PC market, which we will continue to fuel by delivering innovative products to meet the needs of our customers.”
In addition, through the Lenovo PC solution in Torino: – Lenovo’s six athlete Internet i.lounges, located throughout the three Olympic Villages to help keep athletes, coaches and staff connected to family and friends during the Games, supported approximately 1,800 athlete visits a day from 60 countries. The i.lounges were used primarily for email, followed by browsing the Internet.
– The i.lounges also hosted several cultural and social events for athletes, including Chinese Lantern Festival, Valentine’s Day and Italian Carnevale. Lenovo coordinated a philanthropic event in the Torino Olympic Village i.lounge with “Right to Play,” an organization of Olympic, Paralympic and professional athletes that uses sports to help children in less fortunate regions of the world.
– Several Olympic Winter Games organizations including Visa International relied on Lenovo equipment during the Games. They reported that the technology and service provided were critical to the success of their onsite operations. Activities supported by Lenovo equipment included hosting the family and friends of athletes in specially designed i.lounges, managing more than 415 hours of broadcast coverage for five separate television networks, accessing and storing information on a daily basis, and supporting the finals of an Olympic Games-themed video game contest in Torino.
– Approximately 400 customers from 30 countries attended the Torino Games for a behind-the-scenes look at Lenovo’s technology in action.
– A new global advertising campaign estimated to deliver more than 100 million impressions worldwide through NBC alone was launched to complement activities at the Torino Games. The new “ThinkPad Unleashed” television campaign that ran on NBC during the Opening Ceremony was viewed by more than 27 million people worldwide. Lenovo is also supplying technology and technicians for successful operations during the 2006 Paralympic Winter Games, 10-19 March 2006 in Torino. In addition to providing support for the event’s IT infrastructure, Lenovo will operate four i.lounges in the Torino and Sestriere Olympic Villages.
Lenovo already has begun working with the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games to identify the equipment needs for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games and has provided desktop and notebook PCs to support the organization’s daily planning operations.
About Lenovo Lenovo creates the most innovative products in the personal computing industry. Lenovo engineers, programmers and scientists from five laboratories in China, Japan and the United States focus on research and development that solves customer problems and improves productivity. Lenovo is the Technology Equipment sponsor of the 2006 Olympic Winter Games in Torino and the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, providing notebook and desktop PCs, servers, storage and other computing equipment. For more information about Lenovo, visit www.lenovo.com .