IBM Surf Shack Debuts at U.S. Olympic Training Center
U.S. Olympic Committee and IBM Bring Technology to America’s Athletes
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo (October 26, 1999) – Now when they’re finished swimming, running, tumbling, lifting, wrestling, boxing, and practicing, the athletes at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs can also enjoy surfing — Web surfing, that is. IBM, the Worldwide Information Technology Partner for the 2000 U.S. Olympic Team and the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia, and the United States Olympic Committee have turned the Athlete Center recreation room at the Colorado Springs facility into the IBM Surf Shack. The refurbished room is outfitted with six IBM Aptivas, at which athletes can surf the Web, receive e-mail, and use the Lotus SmartSuite applications 24 hours a day.
At the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, IBM launched the Surf Shack program to allow Olympic athletes to stay “connected” to their fans while competing. IBM hosted a Surf Shack at the 1998 Nagano Olympic Winter Games and again will create a Surf Shack in the Athletes’ Village in Sydney. IBM saw this same need for the athletes at the U.S. Olympic Training Centers to keep in touch with their friends and family as well as to access the wealth of information on the Internet.
“Through our relationship with the USOC, IBM is very pleased to be using our sponsorship and our technology to support the U.S. athletes both as they train for the Olympic Games as well as at the Games themselves,” said Eli Primrose-Smith, vice president, worldwide Olympic & sports sponsorships, IBM.
“The IBM Surf Shack will undoubtedly be a valuable resource for our athletes to stay connected with family and friends and to further their academic pursuits while living and training at our centers throughout the United States,” said Benita Fitzgerald Mosley, director, U.S. Olympic Training Centers. “On behalf of our athletes, I want to thank IBM for their efforts in developing the Surf Shack.”
Source: IBM