Learn from 2006 World Cup, says T-Systems

Johannesburg, 27 Nov 2006

The 2010 Soccer World Cup will be, technologically, a challenge. The only way to ensure the event runs smoothly will be to learn from the successes and mistakes of this year's event, says T-Systems.

Deutsche Telekom, with T-Systems as the service integrator, delivered approximately 75% of the ICT services for the 2006 FIFA World Cup, said Michael Lange, VP of projects and strategy at T-Systems Enterprise Services. He was speaking at ITWeb's Connect IT: Joburg 2010 conference, in Sandton last week.

"The technology challenge is huge," he told delegates. "At this year's event, there were three million RFID chips in tickets, 40 000 network connections, 8 000km of temporary cabling, 20 terabytes of converged voice and data traffic, 25 communication servers, 10 000 communications and network devices, and more.

"This was the magnitude of technology in use at this year's Soccer World Cup, in Germany, and a taste of what's in store for SA in 2010."

FIFA requirements

Lange said one issue SA must address is the definition and allocation of major stakeholders' roles and responsibilities. He described the relationships between FIFA, the local organising committee (LOC), stadium owners and operators, as "ambiguous".

"For the 2006 event, the major stakeholders - FIFA, HBS, LOC and the stadiums - did their ICT requirements planning in isolation of each other. In 2010, the ICT requirements must be combined to enable cost and resource optimisation and other benefits."

The major FIFA requirements, he noted, include:

* Network in and between all locations supporting data, video and audio;
* Voice services (mobile, fixed, trunk radios);
* Video and streaming services;
* IT services;
* Security and SLA management; and
* Systems management and support.

He cited flexibility - in the set up and delivery of services at the 12 stadiums - as one of the key success factors in this year's event, as well as excellent motivation and total management commitment across the whole Deutsche Telekom group.

"It's up to all of you to take this to the next level," he said. "This is a once-in-a-lifetime experience for you, SA, so please make the most of it."