It’s bustling at the IT center of Louna-Jukola. In these premises rented from the city of Paimio, about ten IT professionals work with installations, checks and adjustments on computers originally received as donations. Like other committees, also the IT crowd – responsible for real-time tracking, data communications and result service – began their work already three years ago. Little by little the pace has sped up. Once-a-week meetings had through the winter are increasing towards the zero hour.
– We shall move into the competition center in the last week, when we’ll probably assemble every day. The basic installations have been done, and testing as well as software training started in the beginning of May. Cabling work in the competition centre was also initiated at the same time, tells the chairman of the committee Niko-Petteri Salo.
According to Salo, the volunteers from the clubs of Turun Suunnistajat and Paimion Rasti are “possibly the most professional IT experts ever in Jukola”.
– I myself have a pretty easy job since people in these clubs are quite exceptional: they’ve taken care of the result service in their own competitions for long. We don’t need to waste time and effort into practice and training, but we’ve been able to concentrate on developing the knowledge we’ve gathered from past competitions, Salo extols his crowd.
The list of Jukola IT experts is impressive: Henri Lehtinen is responsible for the Emit tent, Ismo Kuokkanen for the wailing wall, Toni Närvä of TLT-Connection for optical fiber constructions, Ilkka Sillanpää for network operations, Markku Salvela and Pasi Viberg for intermediate timing and finish and Keijo Hintukainen for workstation installations. Seppo Pallari and his group take care of the results to the results board. The vice chairman of the committee Jouni Laaksonen is responsible for recruiting IT volunteers as well as for general IT issues together with the chairman.
Jouni Laaksonen (left), Henri Lehtinen and Keijo Hintukainen keep a close eye on the software installation. Photo: Liisa Käiväräinen.
– In Louna-Jukola, the online technology is almost completely renewed. The amount of data transferred wirelessly is in a different class from all previous Jukola Relays. That is the consequence of cooperation started with Emit AS, a partner significant to us, states Salo.
He estimates there is over ten kilometres of optical fiber in competition center and surrounding areas in total, through which control punching data and TV picture etc. are transferred.
– We’re lucky to have signal operations people from the Defence Forces to help us. They are responsible for data communications built in the terrain.
Some volunteers are still missing. The IT Committee will happily take in registrations right until the very end.
– Even one shift of a couple of hours is of great help. No special skills are required – it’s enough if you’re able to push a certain button, for example, Salo encourages.
The IT Manager Niko-Petteri Salo in his kingdom. Photo: Liisa Käiväräinen.
