2008 Olympic Games

Report comes on heels of earthquake; further monitoring of conditions required

iJET Intelligent Risk Systems, a leading provider of global intelligence and business resiliency services, today released a special brief on the upcoming Olympic Games in China. Organizations with travelers, expatriates and facilities in and around Beijing, China will face a host of potential concerns leading up to and during the 2008 Summer Olympic Games, according to the report.

“Travel Brief - Beijing Olympics,” authored by iJET’s regional intelligence analysts for Asia, covers potential concerns regarding transportation, crime and safety, business operations and health information specific to the Olympic Games. It also includes emergency numbers, common phrases, vaccination recommendations and information on Beijing hospitals.

“Preparations for the Olympics, the recent earthquake and other ongoing situations in China point to the need for organizations to continuously monitor events, prepare for potential disruptions and stay in communication with travelers, expatriates and facilities in the entire region,” said iJET’s President Bruce McIndoe.

Information in the report includes:

• Most taxi drivers do not speak English; carry the name and address of your hotel/lodging, written in Chinese characters, with you at all times.
• Security restrictions and traffic control measures could delay or disrupt cargo shipments and affect supply chains during the games.
• Even short-term visitors must register with the local police station. Hotels do this for their guests, but people staying with friends/family or in guesthouses will probably need to register themselves.
• Protests during the Paris leg of the Olympic Torch Relay prompted strong anti-French sentiment among Chinese nationalists; all Westerners (particularly patrons of French-owned businesses) could encounter associated harassment.
• Smog in Beijing could exacerbate heart or lung diseases; additional supplies of medications may be needed to control symptoms.

Multinational organizations are preparing for the games at a time when China is still recovering from and evaluating effects of the 7.9 magnitude earthquake that struck western China’s Sichuan Province on May 12. While the quake’s epicenter is more than 600 miles away from Beijing, officials remain concerned about possible long-term effects on the nation’s infrastructure, including cracks that have appeared in many of the country’s dams. A compromised or collapsed dam could have far-reaching effects across the country.

A full copy of the travel brief is available at http://www.ijet.com/news/whitepapers/index.asp.

About iJET Intelligent Risk Systems

iJET Intelligent Risk Systems is a leader in business resiliency, helping multinational corporations and government organizations monitor, protect against and respond to global threats. Integrating world-class open source intelligence with patented technology, iJET’s award-winning Worldcue(R) solutions help clients monitor and assess global threats relative to their key people, facilities and supply chain assets; automatically track and communicate with travelers and expatriates; and deploy emergency response services throughout the world at a moment’s notice. Providing a unified view of threats to assets, iJET enables clients to mitigate risks, reduce corporate liability and prepare for and respond to business disruptions. For more information about iJET, please visit http://www.ijet.com/.

iJET, Travel Intelligence and Worldcue are registered trademarks of iJET Intelligent Risk Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.

Source: iJET Intelligent Risk Systems

Web site: http://www.ijet.com/