Beijing 2022 cloud technology sets new bar for Olympic Games, says IOC official

BEIJING, March 26 (Xinhua) -- The Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games has not only been a platform for athletes from all over the world to challenge themselves and address the Olympic spirit, but also a new benchmark of cloud technology as all the core systems of Beijing 2022 were operated on the cloud.

"Thanks to our partner Alibaba Cloud, this was the first time that we actually had the Olympic Winter Games on the cloud," said Ilario Corna, Chief Information Technology Officer of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in an exclusive interview with Xinhua.

"Through these innovations we were able to actually deliver faster, more efficient and more sustainable Games, and actually set a new bar for the Games."

In 2018, Olympic Broadcasting Services (OBS) and Alibaba Cloud launched OBS Cloud, an innovative broadcasting solution that operates on the cloud, which was first used at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games delivering a total of 9,500 hours of content broadcasting.

At Beijing 2022, over 6,000 hours of content has been provided live to broadcasters around the world through the OBS Cloud. "We've been able to launch the OBS Cloud, which is used by all the broadcasters worldwide to get content that is produced at the Winter Olympics," Corna said.

Corna described the cloud service as "groundbreaking" as it enabled many of the IOC broadcasters and partners to "set new records in consumption of content."

"We are always seen as a pioneer in technology," Corna said. "When we see what we could do in the cloud, we are very sure that this can help us move towards our digital transformation goals."

According to Corna, compared to traditional satellite transmission, cloud delivery is more innovative, sustainable, and will leave a legacy to the world.

"Innovative, because we really changed the way compared to how we have done it before," Corna said referring to the outside broadcasting vans (OB vans) and server rooms. "So now as we moved systems to the cloud, it becomes much more agile."

"Sustainable, because cloud transmission has a much lower cost, and in line with the IOC's Olympic Agenda 2020+5 objective of reducing the cost of the Olympic Games, I think this actually supports our journey to improve sustainability."

"Now with the knowledge and the experience people have had in cloud and cyber security, we created a legacy that we can carry forward," Corna added.

Besides the changes and benefits it brings to broadcasters, the audience will also have an entire new experience with the help of the Cloud.

"We want to bring data to the audience," Corna explained. "So that we can create a new fan base and possibly the younger generation for them to be introduced to different sports and actually grow the community of the sports."