NEW YORK, Jan. 24 (Xinhuanet) -- China's computer giant Lenovo announced on Tuesday that it will launch and operate seven internet lounges during next month's Turin winter Olympics for athletes, coaches and officials to stay in touch with their families and supporters.

    The custom-designed Lenovo internet lounges will be located in Olympic Villages in Turin, Sestriere and Bardonecchia, providing the highest ratio of personal computers to athletes in Olympic history.

    "Athletes use personal computers in their everyday activities and expect to have these capabilities onsite during the Olympic Games," said Enrico Frascari, IT managing director of the Turin Olympic Organizing Committee.

    "Demands for connectivity are even higher in 2006 than in previous Olympic Games, and the Lenovo i.lounges will play a major role ensuring athletes, coaches, media and staff have easy access to information for a productive and positive experience in Turin."

    The Lenovo i.lounges will open on January 31 and close on February 26. More than 165 ThinkPad and ThinkCentre workstations, with broadband Internet connection provided by Telecom Italia, will be included in the i.lounges. An additional Lenovo i.lounge will be located in the Main Press Centre, for use by journalists in central Turin.

    Lenovo Group, headquartered in New York, is the TOP sponsor of the International Olympic Committee covering Turin 2006 Winter Olympics and Beijing 2008 Summer Games.

    The Turin winter Olympics will run from Feb. 10-26. Enditem