An Israeli company "has been selected to coordinate security for the 2016 Rio Olympics" in a deal worth $2.2B, according to HAARETZ. ISDS, a multinational security firm based in Nir Zvi, Israel, "will serve as a consultant and supply security systems." ISDS VP Ron Shafran said, "As seen in the media around the world, the security in Brazil is a challenge." The official Rio 2016 Olympics website "lists ISDS as one of its official suppliers, along with Israeli concert ticket firm Eventim, Nielsen, Nike and IT security company Symantec" (HAARETZ, 10/22). ISRAEL NATIONAL NEWS' Cynthia Blank wrote Shafran said the Olympics "offer a rare opportunity and platform for Israeli companies to take part in providing security." Shafron: "We very much want to take this platform and integrate Israeli technologies with international technologies, thereby providing unique responses to specific problems -- from intelligence to perimeter, crowd control, and so forth. We hope these games will provide a hotbed of Israeli technological solutions to security issues" (ISRAEL NATIONAL NEWS, 10/22).
