The first global sporting event running on Windows 7

Data#3 was the official technology partner supplying infrastructure and services to support 2000 athletes and team officials from over 50 countries at the World Transplant Games, which took place on the Gold Coast over the last nine days of August.

The games encourage transplant recipients to keep a healthy lifestyle, therefore increasing their likelihood of a long and successful transplant. The games also aim to raise global awareness of the worldwide shortage of organs which leave thousands of patients waiting on, or dying while on, waiting lists.

The 2009 World Transplant Games is the first global sporting event to use technology running Microsoft’s new Windows 7 desktop operating system. According to Data#3’s Microsoft practice manager, Scott Gosling, “Windows 7 has enabled us to deliver a stable, secure and reliable environment for games volunteers to work with. Simple improvements in Windows 7, for example, power management and the resulting increase in laptop battery life, meant that volunteers were able to extend the time they were away from a power source - critical in a sporting event such as the World Transplant Games.”

As part of the sponsorship of the games, Data#3’s Managed Services team has supplied critical IT infrastructure such as desktops, laptops, printers and network equipment to support games volunteers to coordinate events and distribute results, as well as enabling athletes to communicate with their families and friends around the world.

Complementing the infrastructure, Data#3 also deployed a wireless network to cover the main event venues and provided on-site and remote managed services to support the games throughout the nine days of competition.
The decision to deploy Windows 7 at the games was based on Data#3’s own deployment of Windows 7 to its 500 employees. Progress of that project, due to be completed in mid-September, can be followed at www.win7deployment.com.