Is there a name for the pattern of a application 'system user'

I have previously worked on a project that offered custom competitions to it's users. The users could create their own competition and have other members participate. In addition to that, the company which owned the software also created competitions which all members could participate.

This was implemented using a "System User". A user in the system which represented the application rather than a real user.

I am wondering if there is a formal name for this pattern and also if there are alternatives to this. The system user will not behave in the same way as a regular user of the system might so perhaps there is a different approach that separates the role of system user from that of a regular user in the application.

Any ideas are very welcome!