© International Olympic Committee 2007
The Future of Press Technologies
Anthony Edgar
Head of Olympic Games Media Operations, IOC
© International Olympic Committee 2007
2
The Future of Press Technology
requirements at the Olympic
Games
The Future
of Press
Technologies
Key outcomes of a two day workshop
held 22-23 March 2007 at IOC
Headquarters between the
International Olympic Committee,
representatives of the three world
news agencies, press industry and
Olympic technology partners.
3
The Future of Press Technologies
Attendees
• Agence France-Presse
• Associated Press
• Reuters
• Getty Images
• Kyodo News
• La Gazzetta dello Sport
• Sports Illustrated
• The New York Times
• News Limited
• USA Today
• AIPS
Plus
• Cisco
• Omega
• ATOS Origin
• Swiss Timing
• Bell Canada
• Vancouver 2010
• London 2012
4
The Future of Press Technologies
1. Future is full digital and full IP (Internet Protocol)
More functionality. More data transmissions. More
integrated services. More mobility …all of which
means… more transmission facilities with greater
capacities.
5
The Future of Press Technologies
2. ‘Big pipe’ connectivity is the way for the future
There will be more content, and different content,
going out in the future compared to the past. The
press are moving more and bigger photos, plus files
in other formats including video, audio, pre-formatted
internet packages. Fibre circuit linking all venues and
MPC.
6
The Future of Press Technologies
3. VLan solution for photographers
As very successfully implemented at the 2006 FIFA
World Cup, VLan should be considered as a standard
for the future of digital photographers. This solution
will greatly extend the usage to beyond that of just the
top six agencies, but potentially hundreds of
organisations, including the single newspaper
photographers
7
The Future of Press Technologies
AP, Reuters, AFP only
200
Increase of 1000%
18,600 Gb between two Olympic Games
180
160
1.24 million images over 17 days
(athletics 15%, swimming 10%)
140
930,000 images over 17 days
(50% mountains)
120
100
9,929 Gb
80
60
40
8 mg
20
1.5 mg
15 mg
1,860 Gb
0
Athens 2004
Beijing 2008
File Size (mb)
London 2012
Pictures ('000)
Torino 2006
Vancouver 2010
Gb ('00)
8
The Future of Press Technologies
4. Printed newspapers will become a thing of the
past. Long live the newspaper
Recognition that newspapers are already more than
just one medium (of newsprint). All have internet sites
and communicate through other platforms.
The future of content is multiple formats – text, photo,
video, audio – consumed over multiple platforms …
“convergence”.
9
The Future of Press Technologies
5. The concept of a deadline is finished - the
keyword for the future is ‘instant’
Press must be able to transmit large files, in multiple
formats, from anywhere to anywhere instantaneously
10
The Future of Press Technologies
6. Backpack Journalism
The backpack journalist of the future will use his/her
video camera as his reporter's notebook. They will
compile multimedia stories that include video and
audio clips, still photos grabbed from the HD video, as
well as text.
11
The Future of Press Technologies
7. WiFi is not a media technology of the future.
It is a limited, unreliable platform that cannot fulfil
major event reporting requirements. It should be used
sparingly, and for text only. Media need to understand
its limitations.
A high speed, efficient and secure “in air” connectivity
is however needed to enhance mobility (WiMAX ..?).
12
The Future of Press Technologies
8. “Plug and Play” connectivity.
The individual journalist/photographer can best
covered by cabled Lan based connectivity (with
power) in as many places as possible – i.e. every
seat in MPC press workrooms, photo workrooms and
tribune seats to have power and data jack for
broadband connectivity.
Would greatly increase user base of telecoms
provider (over individual rate card ordering)
13
The Future of Press Technologies
9. Remote editing
Access to INFO (as well as CIS and CATV) systems
to facilitate the work of publishing at a distance.
Access to be extended to beyond host city, in real
time, to drive remote editing.
Ability to expand accreditation case, without
increased load on host city
14
The Future of Press Technologies
10. INFO to move to an Internet platform
INFO to facilitate remote editing environment
The quality and integrity of the Olympic News
Services content to be maintained at the highest level
and be media specific. General access should be
maintained as free of charge.
Explore the development of permanent information
system to provide updated data to Games Info
System (bios/historical results); use of IF internet
sites for non-Olympic specific content, and what
additional content could be added in other formats
(audio/video)
15
The Future of Press Technologies
11. Greater access to athletes needed
One-on-one with athletes and remote access to
interviews/flash quotes/press conferences required in
the future. INFO to carry audio/video of mixed zone
interview/press conferences. Use of technology to
assist mixed zones congestion and access to athletes
interviews
16
The Future of Press Technologies
12. Image Centre still an essential requirement for
today’s digital photographers.
The Image Centre concept should be considered as
the “MPC for the photographers”. Located within the
MPC for Summer Games, as well as within the
mountain press centre for Winter Games. Should be a
one-stop-shop for professional photographers,
including all the key providers such as Canon, Nikon
(loan and repair), but also specialised providers such
as SanDisk, Lexar, Adobe, Apple, Microsoft etc. Must
have large bandwidth connectivity and workspaces
17
The Future of Press Technologies
13. OCOG/Agencies relationship to be enhanced.
Recognition of critical importance of agencies
involvement with OCOGs technology planning,
especially in this changing environment
Advanced planning to be brought forward. Agencies
and OCOG should meet much earlier and more
regularly. OCOGs/agencies to be more integrated in
defining core press technology requirements at an
early stage, and then be involved in key technology
planning stages.
18
The Future of Press Technologies
“
Let me begin by recalling how as it was 10 years ago
in Atlanta (1996):
• photographers still used silver-based film and their
films were collected by runners for development
• It was the first time we used mobile phones to pass
on text data
• The venues were only connected by phone links
I will not even mention the problems with the results
feed …………..
”
Jean Francois Richard, AFP
19
Questions
20