The French company announced that it had awarded the contract to be the official information technology services provider by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) after what it called a competitive bidding process.

"The IOC wanted a company that can best serve the ideals and interests of the Olympic Movement, both from an economic standpoint and by embracing new technologies to ensure the smooth and efficient organisation of the Olympic Games," Atos said in a statement.

Atos is also one of 10 international companies that pay a total of around $1 billion (£607 million/€727 million) for Olympic marketing rights over a four-year cycle covering winter and summer Games.

That separate agreement runs until Rio 2016.

Atos have been the official IT partner for the IOC since 2001  but the company have been involved in the Olympics since Albertville in 1992 through the acquisition of SchlumbergerSema. 

Information technology provided by Atos was a major reason for the success of London 2012 ©Atos

Other major global sponsors including Coca-Cola and McDonalds have signed up until 2020.

In April Atos had signed a deal with the International Paralympic Committee to continue its sponsorship with them until Rio 2016. 

Atos is also a major sponsor of the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

But their sponsorship of London 2012 was overshadowed by protests from disability campaign angry that while sponsoring the Paralympics, Atos were also assessing disabled people's ability to work on behalf of the British Government.

The company was targeted by activists and disabled people in a series of protests, leading to several angry confrontations.

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