PROJECT 2010 - Preparing South Africa for the 2010 FIFA World Cup™

Project 2010 - A Twenty Ten Media and Marketing Initiative

PREPARING SOUTH AFRICA FOR THE WORLD

Technology

Official 2010 WC film in 3D launched – 14/10/2010

GOOOOOOOAAAAALLLL! Soccer comes to the third dimension this November. In an early announcement to retailers, Sony has revealed ’Official 2010 FIFA World Cup Film in 3D’ is coming to the Blu-ray 3D format on November 16, notes a High-Def Digest report. Experience the journey of the most-watched sporting event in the world as it was meant to be seen: in dynamic and vibrant 3D on Blu-ray. Relive the action and intensity of the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa as though you were actually in the stadium witnessing all the drama and athletic skill.

Full High-Def Digest report

FIFA evaluating goalline technology – 12/10/2010

FIFA say 13 different goalline technology systems are being considered to help match officials make more accurate decisions. FIFA say all the project proposals were presented last week, and will be further discussed at an October 20 meeting of their rule-making panel, known as Ifab. The panel is gathering in Newport, Wales, to help set the agenda for their annual meeting next March when the laws of football can be changed, notes a report on the IoL site. FIFA president Sepp Blatter reopened the debate on using technology to help match officials after a series of mistakes affected the World Cup in South Africa, and helped eliminate England and Mexico.

Full report on the IoL site

FIFA wins international award – 12/09/2010

FIFA’s efforts to constantly improve fans’ viewing experience of football have been recognised by the International Broadcasting Convention (IBC), the leading international forum for the electronic media industry. FIFA was awarded the prestigious Judges’ Prize for its decision – with only six months to go before kick-off – to broadcast the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa in 3D FIFA shares the prize with its partners in this sports viewing innovation, namely official FIFA Partner Sony, 2010 FIFA World Cup host broadcaster HBS, and FIFA Media Rights Licensee ESPN.

Full FIFA.com report

FIFA wins international award – 12/09/2010

Full FIFA.com report

Goal-line technology not on the agenda – 19/07/2010

Goal-line technology will not be on the agenda when FIFA meet in Wales later this week; contrary to indications by president Sepp Blatter during the 2010 World Cup. Kick Off reports that the technical sub-committee of the International Football Association Board will meet in Cardiff but, as planned back in May, there will only be one item on the agenda and that will be the continuing experiment with additional assistant referees. Blatter announced during the World Cup finals that goal-line technology had to be discussed once again at the ’first opportunity’ and indicated that would take place this month.

Full Kick Off report

Spam: SA 1, Germany 0 - 12/07/2010

Technology experts say that online activity relating to the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa eclipsed that of Germany in 2006. Fin24 reports that increases were seen in cellphone usage, social networking, and online fraud leveraging the popularity of the event. IT security and management company Symantec reported that nine times more spam email was sent relating to the 2010 World Cup than its 2006 predecessor.

Full Fin24 report

Vodacom’s traffic up 40% during - 12/07/2010

Mobile telecommunications group Vodacom has announced a 40% increase from its regulator network traffic from the start of the FIFA World Cup tournament until the semi-finals. According to Business Report, Vodacom said approximately 600 million SMSs were sent from the start of the tournament until the semi-final stage. In some cases, the traffic on a single base station increased by more than 500% compared to just prior to the start of the tournament, it said.

Full story in Business Report

World Cup needs technology – 04/07/2010

FIFA will reconsider relevant technological equipment for the future, says FIFA president Blatter. FIFA will reconsider the use of goal-line technology for soccer games at its 21 July meeting, in Cardiff. FIFA president Sepp Blatter, speaking at a press roundtable, said from the beginning of the 2010 World Cup the decision was taken by the International Football Association board not to implement goal-line technology. However, after controversial refereeing decisions during England’s match against Germany and Argentina’s match against Mexico, talks have been raised about goal-line technology and its possible assistance in determining the legitimacy of goals.

Full ITWeb report

FIFA urged to move with the times - 30/06/2010

Companies ready to cash in if FIFA accepts goalline technology after World Cup refereeing howlers say they are not yet convinced soccer’s governing body will adopt measures common in other sports. According to a report on the IoL site, England and Mexico fell victim to mistakes by officials in their second-round matches on Sunday, prompting an apology from Fifa president Sepp Blatter and the decision not to retain the refs who made them for the rest of the tournament.

Full report on the IOL site

Blatter to reopen goal-line technology file - 29/06/2010

Fifa president Sepp Blatter apologised for the refereeing mistakes that have blighted the 2010 World Cup and promised to look again at introducing goal-line technology, notes a Mail & Guardian report. ’It is obvious that after the experiences so far at this World Cup it would be nonsense not to reopen the file on goal-line technology,’ Blatter said. ’I deplore when you see the evident referees’ mistakes. It has not been a five-star game for referees. I am distressed by the evident referees’ mistakes. I have expressed my apologies.’

Full report on the Mail and Guardian sitereport

Calls for goal-line technology - 27/06/2010

Fabio Capello and Frank Lampard demanded Fifa introduce goal-line technology on Sunday after the England midfielder had a perfectly good goal ruled out in his team’s 4-1 World Cup mauling by Germany, notes a SuperSport report. The clamour for technology and video replays became even more vocal later Sunday when Argentina’s opening goal in their last 16 clash with Mexico at Johannesburg’s Soccer City was allowed to stand despite Carlos Tevez being in an offside position. ’I am in favour of goal-line technology, especially after tonight,’ said Chelsea midfielder Lampard. ’The ball crossed the line, it was over, it was so obvious.’

Full SuperSport report SuperSport

New Twitter record due to the WC - 26/06/2010

The 2010 World Cup has increased the number of tweets fired off at Twitter, the microblogging service, to a record high of 3 283 per second. The winning spike in tweets came right after a referee’s whistle ended a Thursday match in which Japan beat Denmark 3-1. The previous tweets-per-second record of 3 085 was set last week after the Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Boston Celtics in the final game of US National Basketball Association championships.

Full report on the City Press site

Record traffic for websites during WC - 25/06/2010

Four years may not seem like a very long time, but in technology terms, they’re equivalent to several lifetimes, notes a Mail & Guardian report. In 2006, social networking was just hitting the big time: MySpace was still big, and Facebook had opened its doors to anyone in the world. Fast forward to 2010. Social media sites are everywhere: even though MySpace is on the decline, Facebook is inching closer to half a billion users, while Twitter has a following of 190m who collectively post 65m tweets each day, as of June 2010.

Full Mail & Guardian report

Vuvuzela app coming to an iPhone near you - 15/06/2010Vuvuzela

If you feel you haven’t heard enough of the controversial vuvuzela, a number of new applications have been designed for smart phone users to hear that buzz whenever they please, notes a report on the IoL site. According to the iTunes store, the iVuvuzela which simulates the noise of the instrument has already been downloaded free by 750 000 fans around the world. And if user comments are to be believed the app, designed for use on the iPhone and the iPad, is hugely popular with those who are using it.

Full report on the IOL site

WC coverage the best yet - 09/06/2010coverage

With games airing live on cellphones and computers, the WC will get more online coverage than any major sporting event yet, notes a Sport24 report. Watching highlights on TV the next day or YouTube will suddenly seem a downright ancient way to keep up with the action. When the soccer tournament begins on Friday, fans can follow the action from an array of mobile and web applications and share in triumph and heartbreak across social media.

Full Sport 24 report

Soccer in 3D at no charge – 08/06/2010

If you don’t have tickets to the game, here’s a novel way to enjoy the 2010 World Cup and entertain your kids. The Times reports that the ’3D World Created by Sony’ allows visitors to watch highlights of the 25 matches filmed during the 2010 World Cup in full 3D screening. The 240-seater dome in Nelson Mandela Square will feature not only 3D football images, but will provide entertainment including music, movies and games during the tournament.

Full report in The Times

Plans to make CT Wireless – 01/06/2010

Plans are afoot to make Cape Town a wirelessly connected city, says Western Cape premier Helen Zille. This is on the back of the city lighting up the first circuit of its fibre optic network. Speaking to ITWeb at the official opening of the Telkom/IEEE exhibition in the mother city yesterday, Zille said that IT was key to the Western Cape’s economic future and, while success has been seen on the municipal side, the provincial plan is to update the systems currently in use.

Full Contact Industry report

WC clips at 3D dome - 23/05/2010

Sony plans to bring a premium 3D experience to Joburgers through a 3D Dome that will be built at the Nelson Mandela Square in Sandton. The Sunday World reports that ’3D World’ will enable visitors to experience 3D images on all Sony entertainment platforms for the first time. The Dome will also screen exclusive promotional trailers off 2010 World Cup games shot daily at 25 selected World Cup venues. 3D World will be open to all visitors from June 9 to July 12.

Full Sunday World report

FIFA should embrace coverage, not curb it – 21/05/2010

Guy Burger, Mail & Guardian: Sometimes it’s better to hope for forgiveness, rather than to ask for permission. This is what the South African National Editors’ Forum (Sanef) must be thinking after the group asked FIFA to loosen its limits on journalists delivering coverage to cellphones. What they got instead was a tightening of coverage conditions. The story begins in January with Sanef writing to FIFA, pointing out newspapers’ unhappiness with the restrictions. No reply was forthcoming, so the organisation tried again in March.

Full Mail & Guardian column

The world is watching – 20/05/210

The 2010 FIFA World Cup is Africa’s biggest-ever broadcast event, and it is putting its ICT infrastructure to the test. South Africa has made significant investments into its information and communication technology (ICT) infrastructure in a bid to meet commitments, guaranteed by the Department of Communications, as part of the country’s hosting of the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Tele-management reports that these guarantees cover the provision of connections between the public telecommunications exchanges of Telkom SA, Africa’s largest integrated communications company, and the ten stadiums, as well as the high-technology International Broadcast Centre (IBC), in Johannesburg.

Full Tele-management report

Electronic bed bureau system for WC – 19/05/2010

An electronic bed bureau system that has been developed to ensure optimal use of hospital beds during the 2010 World Cup will soon be rolled out across the province, after a successful pilot run. Dr Wayne Smith, manager of the 2010 Health Unit, said the online database program would be available in all FIFA-accredited hospitals in the next two weeks. The system is being piloted at Somerset Hospital, Milnerton Medi-Clinic and N1 City Hospital. It will only operate in the Western Cape during the World Cup.

Full Cape Argus report

Blind also get to be a part of WC – 18/05/2010

Visually impaired fans will be able to enjoy soccer like everyone else during the 2010 World Cup tournament. FIFA, the Swiss National Association for the Blind and the South African National Council for the Blind (SANCB) have teamed up to provide an Audio Description Project at 44 matches in six World Cup stadiums. The Sowetan reports that the project will help the visually impaired to receive the audio description over small receivers with inner-ear headphones. Lindie van Zyl of the SANCB said the project will offer special tickets to visually impaired spectators for a total of 44 matches at the six stadiums.

Full report in The Sowetan

Getting into 3D in time for the WC – 14/05/2010

Miranda Technologies announced on 13 May that its award-winning, Densité 3DX-3901 Stereoscopic 3D video processor will be shipping in time for the 2010 World Cup, which will be broadcast in 3D. ’The 2010 World Cup has become a catalyst for many broadcasters to make their first move to 3DTV’, says John Kim, infrastructure product manager at Miranda. ’The new Densite 3DX-3901 video processor is ideal for converting signals on-site at the event, from Dual Link to Sensio Side-by-Side format. It’s also well suited to processing the incoming 3D feeds from South Africa, with conversion from Sensio Side-by-Side to Normal Side-by-Side or Dual Link signals.’

Full Screen Africa report

Nigerians can watch WC on cellphone – 11/05/2010

With a few developments in recent times, Nigeria is still setting the pace in technological developments in Africa and indeed the Middle East and African emerging markets. This is as Nigeria can now join a few other countries of the world to provide its citizens the opportunity of watching the 2010 World Cup LIVE broadcasts on their cell phones, notes an allAfrica.com report. This opportunity was facilitated by a recent partnership between DStv Mobile, Nokia and MTN Nigeria to push the boundaries of entertainment by making compelling live TV available to Nigerians on their mobile devices.

Full allAfrica.com report

Video game brings WC to life – 09/05/2010

Developed by video game entertainment giants Electronic Arts and endorsed by FIFA, 2010 World Cup South Africa brings to life a vivid imagining of a vibrant football festival, complete with costumed fans, vuvuzelas, a galaxy of famous footie stars and all 10 of our World Cup stadiums, notes a Cape Argus report. In fact, there are few better ways to appreciate South Africa’s stadiums than seeing them on this game as the world’s best teams battle it out for glory in almost true-to-life simulated encounters. Designers have paid a lot of attention to detail. One can even spot familiar buildings from city skylines.

Full Cape Argus report

Quantum security for Durban stadium - 06/05/2010

Communication channels from the operations centre at Durban’s Moses Mabhida stadium to the Joint Operations Centre of Durban will be secured by a quantum cryptography system. However, analysts say this may not be required for the event. ITWeb reports that the project specifically aims to secure communication – e-mails, video links and phone calls – between the operations centre at Durban’s World Cup stadium and the Joint Operations Centre of Durban. Head of Durban’s Strategic Projects Unit and 2010 Programme, Julie-May Ellingson, says: ’A joint operations centre will mobilise and reallocate resources and the overall safety and security planning will be collated by the Provincial Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure. This structure will report directly to a national structure to allow for consistent and unified safety across SA.’

Full ITWeb report

2010 stadium gets EC fungi treatment – 04/05/2010

Groundbreaking research by a Rhodes University ’fungi fundi’ is being used to produce perfect playing pitches, just in time for the 2010 World Cup, notes a Daily Dispatch report. After 20 years research by Dr Joanna Dames, head of biochemistry, microbiology and biotechnology, Mycoroot was this week unveiled as the main reason why the field at Ellis Park Stadium looked so good, even after 30 heavies played a game of Super 14 Rugby on it.

Full Daily Dispatch report

SA introduces system to track 2010 visitors– 29/04/2010

Home Affairs is to unveil a system to help facilitate the secure movement of people in and out of the country in preparation for the 2010 World Cup. Known as the Movement Control System (MCS), it will assist in law enforcement as well as the prevention of criminal and illicit activities. Home Affairs Minister Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma will introduce the system at OR Tambo International Airport, where it has been successfully piloted.

Full TNT News report

IDC monitors WC impact on ICT – 28/04/2010

International Data Corporation (IDC) is monitoring the impact of 2010 World Cup on technology deployment and adoption in South Africa, a senior official has announced. In an interview with ITNewsAfrica.com, IDC Director for Africa, Middle East and Turkey, Mark Walker, said the exercise was aimed at assessing the impact of the event on Information Communication Technology (ICT) spend. He said IDC believed that the company would see significant use of the latest security, event and facility management, communications and mobile technologies during the historic even.

Full IT News report

700th hotspot rolled out - 21/04/2010

Internet Solutions (IS) has rolled out its 700th AlwaysOn hotspot in SA and analysts say the 2010 World Cup helped set the deadline for this project, notes an ITWeb report. ’The need is for more access points, such as the IS hotspots, so this initiative will in all probability grow going forward. The World Cup simply drew a line in the sand for a completion date of this project,’ says World Wide Worx Strategy MD Steven Ambrose. GM of WiFi and VOIP mobile at IS Justin Spratt agrees, saying the focus of this project has been around providing a positive Internet experience for World Cup supporters and the media that are expected to attend the event.

Full ITWeb report