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400 days before the World Cup kick-off, on 6 May last year, the official World Cup Website (www.FRANCE98.com) made its appearance on the Net. Since then, it has developed and grown in stature constantly, adding new sections, boasting a "new look" (as of 4 December last year, the day of the Draw at Marseille) and above all an improved technological architecture (4 mirror sites, 30 servers). The site has received around 20,000 hits a day since day one, bringing the total by mid-April up to 3,000,000 visitors-a figure that makes www.
FRANCE98.com one of the most popular Websites in the world! Among the 170 visiting countries, the United States, Japan, France and Brazil are at the top of the list. Users can join in competitions, consult the latest AFP bulletins, download screen-savers and press kits, send messages to the mail-box, buy spin-off products from the store (with security-tight payment facilities) and even listen to the Official FRANCE 98 anthem.
The site has thus enabled cyber travellers to participate in the build-up to the tournament. But during the World Cup itself, its pièce de résistance will be in providing live coverage of the event, a service made possible largely through being able to lift a large amount of information produced by the team of INFO FRANCE 98, the Intranet system dedicated to the members of the media. And in addition to this "first hand" information ( with match results, players' comments and statistics all being relayed live), FRANCE98.com will be aiming to let all its cyber visitors soak up the big match atmosphere-by transmitting not just the excitement in the stadiums, but the general feeling of celebration that will reign over the whole of France for 33 days.
FRANCE 98 EN FÊTES There are various entertaining sections to enjoy on the Site, like photos and reports on supporters from two special correspondents, with background sounds recorded in the streets of the World Cup host cities. All this has been gathered under the "FRANCE 98 celebrates" banner. "We're going to step back a little and show visitors other facets of the competition. They should get a whiff of the event, of its colour. In short, it'll be a happy marriage between comprehensive sports information and multimedia reporting," explains Charles-Henri Contamine, head of the Internet Project within the Communication department. There's a lot at stake here, as you realise when you consider that during the competition FRANCE98.com is expected to receive 1.3 billion visitors, in other words twice as many as during the Winter Olympics in Nagano.
The CFO's 3-strong Internet team keeps a careful eye on the smooth-running of the site, with constant input from two EDS collaborators in Texas. During the World Cup, the team will be increased to eleven, with graphic artists, developers, journalists and analysts. Eleven, yes-just like a football team!
INFO FRANCE 98 : A REAL ELECTRONIC NEWS AGENCY
Recording players' comments after a match will be one of the tasks of the 450 Volunteers working on INFO FRANCE 98. Above and beyond the facilities it will be offering the members of the media, the French Organising Committee will also be deeply involved in the actual work of the journalists. And this it will do through INFO FRANCE 98, an Intranet system which can be consulted on the 450 PCs to be installed at the International Media Centre and stadium press centres. Unlike the Website, INFO FRANCE 98 is, obviously, not accessible to the public at large. For the CFO, it was a technological choice-meaning greater convenience for users, and also security against possible IT "attacks" from the outside.
But the world's cyber travellers won't be deprived of the information issued on INFO FRANCE 98, as a large part of it will be transmitted via the Website. INFO FRANCE 98 is, quite simply, something totally new in the history of the World Cup. It will provide all the information relating to the event, including practical tips (flight schedules, press conference times etc.), a look back (a database on all 15 previous World Cups), sports-related information (profiles of the 704 players, statistics, post-match comments from various participants), and details on various bodies (Organisers, Host Cities, Partners). When they are consulting Intranet, users can also print out the pages they want for future reference. Such wide coverage-with 25 information bulletins on match days and 15 on non-match days-will ensure that the media with only minimal representation do not miss out on what's happening.
IN THREE LANGUAGES The amount of information to be produced and translated (the system is available in French, English and Spanish) before it even goes online is considerable. "INFO FRANCE 98 will be drawing on a team of 580 people (550 Volunteers, 30 regular staff) spread over the 11 venues to 'feed' the system and keep it constantly turning over," explains Christophe Kukawka, the project leader within the CFO Communication department.
Afterwards, the information has to be edited, translated and put online.... "Young reporters will be combing the venues to provide the information, and we'll also be receiving copy from correspondents working alongside each team." This again is a big "first" for a World Cup. "We'll be just like a news agency, our main concern being to provide high-quality, comprehensive and reliable information. We are not setting out to replace journalists, but to enable them to work in the best possible conditions," adds Kukawka.
