Olympic staff forced to turn off their BlackBerrys
Posted Jan 7, 2010 05:23:04 AM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Tension is mounting at Vancouver’s Olympic headquarters as some staff have been told they can’t use their BlackBerrys.
Waterloo-based Research in Motion is not a sponsor of the games and so some staffers are being forced to turn in the devices and use Omnia or Vice instead.
The touch-screen devices are made by South Korea’s Samsung, the official provider of wireless communications equipment for the 2010 games.
Today’s Record reports staffers are frustrated with the touch-screen devices and concerted lobbying has lead to some being allowed to discreetly keep their BlackBerrys — a breach of official sponsor protocol.
The 64 sponsors of the Games are covering off more than half of the $1.75 billion operating budget, commitments they make in cash and goods to give their products exclusive status at the Games.
Samsung is providing 9,200 devices for staff to use during the Games.
