The 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece, are far off for most of us, but the IT team is getting the infrastructure in shape. Schlumberger, the systems integrator handling IT for the event, has begun work on eight key event applications, including accommodations, transportation, and health services. Most of the apps are expected to be available a full year before the event kicks off.

Claude Philipps, Schlumberger's chief technology integrator for the games, says the company won the contract partly for its ability to keep costs down. Philipps' IT budget comes in at about $300 million.