The Paralympic Movement will enjoy global technical support this summer as international IT firm Atos Origin becomes the Worldwide Information Technology Partner of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC).

The company signed the agreement with the IPC in Beijing early this month. Under the agreement, Atos Origin will help develop the Paralympic Movement with a system designed to manage athletes' data, including results, biographical and classification specific information.

Like the agreement Atos Origin previously signed with BOCOG, the agreement with the IPC enables Atos Origin to expand its Paralympic marketing rights worldwide.

"We heartily welcome Atos Origin to become the Worldwide Partner of the IPC. The Paralympic Games provides a stage for all athletes with a disability to demonstrate their strong spirit of meeting challenges as well as inspire and excite the world with their performances. We hope the Paralympic Games can further promote such a spirit and attract more companies like Atos Origin and individuals to support the Paralympic Movement," said IPC President Sir Philip Craven.

Atos Origin is primarily responsible for IT consulting, systems integration, operations management, information security and software application development for the Olympic Games. The company was also the IT Partner of the 2002, 2004 and 2006 Paralympic Games and has started preparing for the Vancouver 2010 Winter Games. It will soon begin the first steps for 2012 in London as well.

"We are honored and proud to become the Worldwide IT Partner of the IPC. It marks a milestone in Atos Origin's history of supporting both the Olympic and Paralympic Games, at a global level. It demonstrates that Atos Origin attaches the same level of importance to both the Olympic and the Paralympic Movements," said Patrick Adiba, Atos Origin's executive vice-president of the Olympics and other major events.

The company also signed an agreement with the National Paralympic Committee of China to sponsor Li Duan and Bian Jianxin, two Chinese Paralympic athletes, in defending their titles at the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games.