Olympic legacy to revamp Athens IT systems

Athens will inherit an integrated emergency service, security and traffic management technology infrastructure following a €255m (£172m) investment in command and control systems for this year's Olympic Games.

Olympic officials claim that the new IT infrastructure will provide emergency services and security forces with a legacy to cope with floods, earthquakes and fires, as well as everyday occurrences such as traffic problems.

The 67 Command and Control Security Systems will be used to connect the Greek police, coastguard, fire brigade and defence forces during and after the games to ensure that residents of Athens and visitors to the Games are protected from potential disasters.

The technology - provided by the Olympics' IT systems integrator Atos Origin, physical security provider SAIC and other IT suppliers - includes command centres, a secure digital trunk radio network, CCTV cameras, geographical information systems and the Olympic security data network.

The command centre system will allow ministries and agencies to centralise information gathering and decision processes and to make a faster, unified response to incidents by communicating to ground forces via secure communications devices.

"One of the big benefits will be the legacy that the Olympics leaves," a spokesman for the Athens Organising Committee (ATHOC) told vnunet.com.

"Before, we had an old transport network; but after the Olympics have finished we will be left with a wonderful infrastructure that will help modernise the city further."

A new traffic management centre for the games will also continue to help reduce jams in the streets of Athens once the Olympics is finished.

The system will monitor roads and junctions by connecting 1,500 traffic signals within greater Athens to an automated control centre, while 200 closed circuit cameras will monitor traffic movements and incidents.

"As a direct result of the Olympic Games, Greece will acquire an infrastructure that will be in many respects more advanced than existing ones in western metropolitan areas," said the ATHOC spokesman.