IBM Corp has been accused of wanting to charge so much for its technology that it would have bankrupted the Olympic Games. The US giant will end its relationship with the Olympic Games after the Sydney Olympics in 2002 following a bust-up with organizers over charges for the service (CI No 3473). IBM believes the technology will run hundred of millions of dollars over previous costs, said IOC marketing director Michael Payne The costs IBM were proposing would have bankrupted the organizers’ technology budgets. The costs were four or five times the amount budgeted for technology. The IOC is now looking for multiple suppliers in the IT field with EDS and Andersen Consulting battling it out to be systems co-ordinator and Hewlett-Packard and Sun Microsystems in line to provide hardware. Under the previous deal, IBM supplied millions of dollars worth of technology and hardware in return for the right to use the famous olympic rings in its advertising. This time around, Big Blue was looking for some financial help from sponsors and the hosts.
