Patrick Adiba, executive vice-president for Olympics and Major Events at Atos Origin, one of the 11 TOP (The Olympic Partners) with IOC, said his company will not launch any major campaigns this year, although the Beijing Games is only 18 months away.

"We are the only pure business-to-business partner and mainly focus on some 100 key clients, so mass marketing is not something we are looking for," said Adiba.

Adiba said his firm will think about signing athletes, but that is mainly based on its support to the Olympic movement and sportsmanship, rather than for marketing purposes.

However, the TOP title does help the firm build its profile in China, which is supposed to be a key growth market for the France- and Belgium-headquartered technology service provider.

Atos Origin will bring its current and potential partners to visit its laboratory in Beijing to showcase its technological expertise.

The company has been in China for 15 years, but its business in the world's fastest growing major economy is just a fraction of its global total.

Its role as a TOP information technology service provider to the world's most technologically complex sports event helps the firm convince potential customers of its technological strength.

Since Beijing won the right to host the world's largest sports event in August, 2008, Atos Origin has won key customers like Bank of China, China Construction Bank, two of the four largest in China, as well as the State-owned oil major China National Petroleum Corp.

For Atos Origin, a more important task this year is to prepare for the Games.

"The preparation work is exactly on track with our master plan set out four years ago," said Adiba. "Now we are entering a very important milestone: testing and operation phase."