• Dell end-to-end IT underpinning 40 competition and non-competition sites at Glasgow 2014 Games, to support athletes, volunteers and officials
  • Uptime maximised through simplified IT management and locally-based support team
  • Organising committee reduces risk with IT partner established in supporting global sporting occasions including 2006 Melbourne Commonwealth Games


With just under 100 days to go until the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games, Dell today has shared the details of the large-scale end-to-end IT infrastructure that will be implemented across 40 competition and non-competition sites as part of its role as Official IT Hardware and Data Centre supporter for Glasgow 2014. Designed to support business critical functions, as well as connecting athletes, volunteers and officials from around the globe, the technology will help to ensure a seamless experience for everyone involved over the 11 days of competition.

Brian Nourse, Chief Technology Officer for Glasgow 2014, explained: "Technology underpins everything at the Commonwealth Games and we have multiple sites across Glasgow that require a fit-for-purpose technology solution. Dell's role is crucial in ensuring that we have a robust, flexible infrastructure in place that can guarantee everything runs flawlessly - both in the planning and staging of the Games, and during the 11 days of competition."

As the second largest multi-sport event in the world after the Olympics, and the biggest sporting event ever held in Scotland, Glasgow 2014 needed an IT partner that could support the requirements of the 71 nations involved in the Games, an audience of more than two billion people, 4,500 athletes and 15,000 staff and volunteers. To achieve this, Dell will be providing 2,400 OptiPlex desktops, and Latitude laptops, and approximately 50 PowerEdge servers and EqualLogic and PowerVault storage solutions across 40 sites which include support for priority critical functions and venues including:
  • Technology Operations Centre (TOC): Responsible for monitoring, operation and management of all Games technology and services, the technology environment for the Games will use Dell PowerEdge servers with Intel ® Xeon ® processors, Dell EqualLogic and Dell PowerVault storage, and a range of Dell desktops and laptops to provide instant responses for the spectators, athletes and organisers with the aid of a Dell-supported service desk.
  • Media Centre and Results: A huge part of the technology requirements for the Games is the ability to make available results to a wide audience. The Media Centre will use Dell equipment to make the results available to the world's press and broadcast media. Dell equipment will also be used onsite by press partners to prepare and file stories.
  • Athletes' Village: The home of the athletes during Games time will use Dell technology to ensure seamless logistics management for Glasgow 2014 team members and the 71 nations represented, support three fully equipped recreational facilities so that athletes can stay connected to friends and family, and enable a relaxed atmosphere.

Tim Griffin, Vice President and Managing Director, Dell UK, said: "Technology is often the unsung hero of the sporting world. Nearly everything, from coverage of the events and ticketing, to how athletes perform and results are reported, requires a high level of technology support. The Commonwealth Games is a world-class sporting event that requires world-class technology support - something we're committed to and very proud to be delivering."

Glasgow 2014 chose to partner with Dell due to its flexibility, ability to collaborate, mindfulness of budget and bespoke solutions. With a local presence in Glasgow, Dell will be on hand if required and has a personal investment in the project as Official IT Hardware and Data Centre supporter. The remaining elements of the Dell solution are due to be deployed in the final eight weeks of preparation for the Games, which begin on 23rd July and run until 3rd August, 2014.

For more information, visit www.dell.co.uk/glasgow2014 and join #TeamDell on Twitter, following the conversation by following @thecgf, @delluk, @glasgow2014.

About Dell
Dell Inc. listens to customers and delivers innovative technology and services that give them the power to do more. For more information, visit www.dell.com.

About Glasgow 2014
The Commonwealth Games is an international, multi-sport event involving 71 teams of athletes from the Commonwealth of Nations. The event was first held in 1930 and takes place every four years. Glasgow 2014 will be the XX Commonwealth Games and will be held from 23 July to 3 August. It will feature 17 sports across 11 days of competition with over 250 medal events on show. The Games will play host to 4,500 athletes and sell 1,000,000 tickets with the event aided by an army of up to 15,000 volunteers. Glasgow 2014 Ltd is the official name for the Organising Committee tasked with delivering the Games in partnership with the Scottish Government, Glasgow City Council and Commonwealth Games Scotland.

About Dell Enterprise Forum
Dell Enterprise Forum is the premier technical learning event for Dell enterprise customers and channel partners. The conference, held annually in the US and Europe, offers an intensive, interactive learning experience across the data center-from servers and storage to networking and converged solutions.

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