HP scores in 1998 World Cup soccer series

At the centre of the World Cup Online system is the content engine, a cluster of Unix system-based HP 9000 Enterprise Servers that acts as data repository for World Cup facts and figures. Information from the content engine is fed into two systems: InfoFrance98, a secure intranet environment accessible only by accredited journalists, and the official external Web site for the World Cup 98.

InfoFrance98 has been developed specifically to provide the media direct access to data and statistics via media centres at all 10 of the World Cup stadiums around France, as well as the International Media Centre (CIM) in Paris. The networked system consists of 30 HP NetServer systems and HP Vectra high-performance PC's. The World Cup Internet site is made available through HP Web servers located in the United States and Europe. At a later date, as increased Internet traffic warrants, an Asian site may be added to maintain acceptable response times to site visitors from around the world.

In addition, the content engine also feeds data to Minitel, a separate information system run by France Telecom that provides text-only information to millions of French homes and businesses. Minitel, like the World Cup information system, also is run on HP 9000 servers. The same World Cup 98 information also will be made available on pagers and HP 360LX palmtop PCs via wireless connections to those subscribing to the service. So far, more than 500 of the 2,000 HP Vectra PCs that are expected to be included in the World Cup information system already are installed, as are 15 of the required 100 LANs (local area networks) and 70 of the projected 500 HP LaserJet printers.

In all, the World Cup IT infrastructure comprises 75 types of HP computing and communications hardware. The HP-powered World Cup Online system combines a software database from Sybase, the World Cup applications developed by EDS, and the required global network provided by France Telecom. HP Domain Internet applications provide the backbone of the World Cup 98 information network. HP Domain Internet servers will provide information access to 10,000 journalists via the World Cup Online system, as well as power the World Cup 98 Web site, administer ticketing and seating for the 64 scheduled matches, manage the accreditation of 50,000 staff, volunteers, and players and handle back-office and warehouse operations.

The World Cup Web site is expected to handle an estimated 10 million to 20 million hits per day during the games, and more during certain peak periods. The Internet site was launched on May 6 and has recorded more than 46 million hits to date, representing access from 145 countries.