BT MeetMe WebEx online meetings chosen to drive collaborative working, reduce operational costs and improve staff productivity for LOCOG in the run up to London 2012

LONDON, 16 November 2011; The London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) is using BT MeetMe WebEx conferencing and collaboration software to provide staff with access to virtual meeting rooms to aid planning and preparations ahead of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Following an initial trial, the hosted platform has now been rolled-out across LOCOG, headquartered in Canary Wharf, London. With staff required to work from a number of locations across London and the UK, MeetMe WebEx will improve collaboration amongst employees by supporting flexibility and mobility in the workforce, helping them to save time, reduce costs and cut carbon emissions by eliminating the need for people to travel and meet in person.

Highlights / Key Facts:

· LOCOG staff will be provided with 1,800 MeetMe WebEx licenses immediately, increasing to 6,000 by the time of the Games as the organisation continues to grow
· Employees can use MeetMe WebEx to quickly and easily setup meetings for groups of up to 200 people, increasing business efficiency by being able to arrange impromptu and flexible meetings and also being able to share content for each meeting
· MeetMe WebEx will be fully integrated with Microsoft Outlook, with BT providing service support through the London 2012 service desk
· MeetMe WebEx is a self-managed audio visual conferencing service that combines voice conferencing and the sharing of data such as Microsoft Office, web applications, etc.
· Available at any time, every day of the year, prior booking is unnecessary
· MeetMe WebEx combines real-time application sharing with phone conferencing, enabling people in companies of all sizes to present information, share applications, and collaborate on projects with customers, partners and employees as easily as if they were together in person
· BT and Cisco collaboration tools help organisations of all sizes to bring people and information together to make working together easy, no matter where they are located
· MeetMe WebEx solutions help all types of companies to be able to reach anyone, anywhere, at any time through a rich set of features, always-on reliability, and high-level security

Supporting quotes:

· Tim Passingham, Vice President for EMEA, BT Conferencing:
“BT is the official communications services provider for London 2012 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games. Through MeetME and WebEx, BT and Cisco are enabling LOCOG to develop strategies and make critical decisions that are facilitated by an open, highly secure, adaptable collaboration environment. We will be able to ensure that every aspect of the communications for LOCOG is reliable, secure and fully prepared to support every facet of the London 2012 experience.”

· Neil Crockett, Managing Director London 2012, Cisco UK and Ireland:
“The ability to quickly setup virtual meetings, large or small, allows organisations to share their knowledge and expertise in a timely, efficient way, implementing key decisions fast. No other organisation in the world better represents that challenge than LOCOG, which in just a matter of months will be finalising preparations for the biggest show on earth. At Cisco we work in seamless partnership, typified by this initiative with BT, to provide LOCOG employees with a vital business communication tool that will aid them on their journey to London 2012.”

· Gerry Pennell, CIO, LOCOG:
“As we reach the business end of the project, we need to ensure our teams are able to work flexibly and efficiently. Having a tool like MeetMe WebEx will prove to be an invaluable asset for our staff. It is also rewarding to see two of our sponsors collaborating to provide services like this to help us on the road to London 2012.”