BEIJING, 24 July 2008 ? Lenovo today launched a blogging program and website for athletes training to compete in the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. The program builds on a historic shift in the Olympic movement ?- these are the first Olympic Games where athletes will blog during the competition time period itself.
Lenovo has provided IdeaPad and other notebook PCs and video cameras to more than 100 athletes from more than 25 countries and 26 sports who have signed up to participate in the blogging program. Their blogs are being presented on the website www.lenovo.com/voicesofthegames. Lenovo is a Worldwide Partner of the Olympic Games and the Olympic Torch Relay, providing more than 30,000 pieces of computing equipment to manage the operations of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. Athletes also will be able to use Lenovo internet lounges inside the Olympic Village, using PCs to maintain blogs, do e-mail, and surf the Internet.
Until 2008, athletes were allowed to write blogs only until the opening day of the Olympic Games, and could then resume their blogs after the conclusion of the Games. This year, new regulations from the International Olympic Committee enable athletes to write blogs about their experiences off the field of play during the actual 17 days of competition.
?The Beijing 2008 Olympic Games will create the first truly Web 2.0 experience, one in which athletes, fans, supporters and television viewers interact and collaborate over the Internet,” said Deepak Advani, Lenovo senior vice president and chief marketing officer. ?We want to provide personal computing technology that helps athletes engage with a global community that cares passionately about competition, training, and the kinds of experiences that have gone unheralded until now. We want to help athletes achieve their dreams, and share those dreams with the world.”
Lenovo began offering personal computing technology to athletes in April 2008, asking them simply to use IdeaPad notebooks and video cameras to share their experiences through a blog. Lenovo does not require athletes to blog about their usage of Lenovo personal computing equipment, and does not require athletes to sign contracts to participate. Many have never blogged before, and Lenovo is sharing tools and advice to help them get started. Some ?- such as Australian rowing champion Drew Ginn -? are aggressive early adopters of sophisticated blogging tools and technologies.
?Writing a blog gives me a chance to reflect on the experience of a rower preparing for the Beijing Olympic Games,? said Ginn. ?There are hours of training and multiple selection camps, trials, events and competitions. I meet countless competitors, athletes and colleagues who inspire me along the way, and my blog is a way to offer these experiences to a global audience.?
About Lenovo
Lenovo (HKSE: 992) (ADR: LNVGY) is dedicated to building the world’s most innovative personal computers. Lenovo’s business model is built on innovation, operational efficiency and customer satisfaction as well as a focus on investment in emerging markets. Formed by Lenovo Group’s acquisition of the former IBM Personal Computing Division, the company develops, manufactures and markets reliable high-quality, secure and easy-to-use technology products and services worldwide. Lenovo has major research centers in Yamato, Japan; Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen, China; and Raleigh, North Carolina, USA. For more information, see www.lenovo.com.
