The 2008 Olympics will use the IBM S3 surveillance system to prevent terrorism from grabbing the spotlight during the global extravaganza next August.

IBM is also developing a similar surveillance system for lower Manhattan, in New York, but has not yet deployed it. It is also integrating the S3 system into the city of Chicago's existing surveillance infrastructure.

The S3 system, developed by IBM's T.J. Watson Research Center, combines existing network and video surveillance infrastructure with state-of-the-art Information Technology, according to IDG News Service.

"Physical security and IT security are stating to come together," said Julie Donahue, vice president of security and privacy services with IBM. "A lot of the guys I'm meeting on the IT side are just starting to get involved on the physical side."

When the S3 system is deployed in the Beijing Olympic Games, it will scan video images of city streets looking for everything from troublemakers to terrorists. The S3 uses analytic tools to index digital video recordings and then issue real-time alerts when certain patterns are detected.