Olympics set to leave lasting legacy

The upcoming London Olympics are set to leave a lasting legacy for young people in the UK, encouraging them to exercise more and pay closer attention to their health. That, at least, is the line being peddled by politicians and other parties with a vested interest in the Games.

However, the lasting impact the Games will have on the country's technology sector has been much less well-publicized, even though it has prompted an upgrade in technology infrastructure. For instance, the Games has prompted the London Underground system to implement Wi-Fi, which is something Londoners have been craving for years.

Sponsors, meanwhile, have used the event to focus their attention on science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) education. Cisco has confirmed that it intends to relocate around a third of its infrastructure at Olympic venues will eventually go to new and existing network academies in the area. Cisco said that the infrastructure will be used to provide training for the next generation of network engineers, meaning the UK technology sector will see a long-term benefit.

"We're hoping to have at least 30 of these new academies opened in the next five years to help tackle the skills shortage that's looming within the STEM subjects," he commented. "These should help find employment for graduates and provide the skilled workforce we are crying out for."

Cisco is currently trying to determine which equipment needs to be installed and where it would be best used. To this end, the technology firm is working in partnership with the Pearson Foundation to explain to STEM students how the infrastructure and other forms of cutting-edge technology can be used in everyday life.

"It's all about creating a link between the Olympics happening outside their schools and the lessons they're sitting in," explained Cisco's chief information officer for the UK, Ian Foddering. "We're hoping to have at least 30 of these new academies opened in the next five years to help tackle the skills shortage that's looming within the STEM subjects."