mediaBEAM carries Olympic flame around the world with virtual torch relay

Setting signs for peaceful games

Ahaus (21st April 2008). The Olympic fire is to unite nations and invite to a peaceful contest. But there is no sign of pleasant anticipation of the Games in Peking: Where the torch relay does not take place virtually under exclusion of the public, it is accompanied by fierce protests. The software company mediaBEAM from Ahaus, Germany, in contrast believes in the Olympic idea and a virtual torch relay, during which all friends of athletics can carry the torch for Olympia and for the human rights.

“You are the flame” is the title of Jochen Meyer’s appeal and virtual torch carriers can sign up under www.youflame.net. He does “not at all agree” with the political development in China and the forcible squashing of the unrest in Tibet, says the managing director of mediaBEAM. He also finds the manner in which the Chinese government reacts to any disruption of the desired harmony of the torch run utterly “disastrous”. Nevertheless, sport should not be misused as a political tool. “Athletes want fair competitions”, emphasises Meyer. And peace can neither be enforced with the crowbar “nor by letting the flame go out”.

The virtual flame mediaBEAM has sent on its way as a symbol for Olympia, for athletics and against oppression and violence will not go out. Everyone who signs up on the Internet shows that he is looking forward to the Games and may carry the torch into his hometown and around the globe. The fire has already covered a distance of many 100,000 kilometres and its course can be followed on the website. From the virtual start in Olympia it was first of all carried to the company’s office in Ahaus and from there continued its journey through Germany, to England, to the USA and beyond. “Rolf” for instance has taken the flame to Lhasa in Tibet. “This is also where the torch belongs”, was his comment.

Jochen Meyer also sees the project “YouFlame” as demonstration of the mediaBEAM team’s capabilities. “Our company has provided everything - from the initial idea to the graphic design, development and installation of the server technology,” he explains. The team needed barely five days for this project. The core business of the Ahaus company is among others the provision of services and solutions for “unified messaging”. This includes for instance a server platform on the Internet, which offers small and medium-sized companies safe and world-wide access to e-mail, fax and SMS and helps them save the costs for the IT infrastructure.

Further information can be accessed at www.mediabeam.de and www.youflame.net.