The Winter Olympics Got a Cloud Upgrade. Here’s Why You Should Too.

Few events hold a candle to (or rather, a torch to) the Olympics. While athletic feats take center stage on our screens, technological miracles take place in the background. 

Takeaway:

• Cloud technology was deployed at scale for the Winter Olympics in 2022, resulting in improved security, data visibility, and overall efficiency for the Games. Manufacturers can achieve similar results by leveraging cloud ERP.

Olympics Technology Timeline: Breaking Records in the Cloud

Over the course of a few weeks, the Olympic Broadcasting Services (OBS) produces thousands of hours of content which is then distributed to media rights holders from across the globe. In the past, transmitting substantial volumes of high-definition content required extensive international telecommunication optical circuits and large crews to be on-location to film. The pandemic brought these standard procedures to a halt. With travel restrictions in place, organizers had to optimize broadcasting workflows for a new playing field. Connectivity, reliability, and remote capability became essential to ensure engaging and profitable Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Since 2022, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has deployed cloud technology at scale across its operations. This transformation led to positive outcomes for all stakeholders, from event organizers to audiences worldwide.

Beijing 2022

Beijing marked a monumental shift as communications, content delivery, and production were moved to the cloud. Veering from traditional broadcasting methods enabled organizers to reduce their infrastructure footprint, improve content distribution, and take advantage of remote production capabilities.

Critical IT systems and applications were implemented in the cloud, reducing reliance on temporary, venue-based infrastructure. Notably, the Olympic Management System application streamlined operations with competition schedules, volunteer management, and eVoting, while the Olympic Diffusion System app shared real-time results with journalists and audiences across the globe. The Games also became more secure with the addition of cloud-based security services, including endpoint detection and response and vulnerability assessments.

Paris 2024

Viewership surged in Paris. An estimated 5 billion people tuned in to the summer games, representing an unprecedented 84% of the potential global audience, according to the IOC. Furthermore, the OBS produced more content than ever before. Over 11,000 hours of content were produced in Paris, a 15% increase from the 2020 Tokyo summer games and an 83% increase from the 2022 Beijing winter games. Increased demand spikes stress-tested the cloud-backed platform, ultimately proving the reliability and scalability of their system.

Transitioning to the cloud also supported new AI initiatives. Fans enjoyed the games from fresh perspectives with 360-degree replays. International broadcasters received personalized highlight clips featuring their desired country and athlete quickly with automated highlight clip generation, resulting in over 100,000 customized videos.

Milano Cortina 2026

Heading in to the 2026 games, the IOC will continue evolving its cloud initiatives to improve flexibility, cost-efficiency, and sustainability. When the IOC initially developed plans for cloud deployment, it projected a 25% adoption rate by 2026. That figure is now at 65%.

Other key metrics will continue to improve this year. On-site infrastructure will decrease by 25%, especially important given the rugged mountain territory. Cloud-based AI systems will be used to analyze energy consumption at Olympic venues, creating real-time insight into power efficiency. Newly introduced “Virtual OB” vans and IP workflows will eliminate the need for mobile production trucks and cut space requirements by 50%.

Going for Gold with Cloud ERP

Introducing cloud-based workflows helped make the Olympics more secure, visible, and efficient than ever before.

The same cloud capabilities that safeguard and scale the Olympics are now helping manufacturers compete, innovate, and grow in an always-evolving landscape. Here are five ways the Olympics benefits from cloud-based systems and how manufacturers can bring lessons from the slopes into the factory.

1. Minimize Risk with Advanced Security

As a high-profile event, the Olympics has always been a prime target for some of the most advanced cybersecurity threats. In 2018, the “Olympic Destroyer” malware targeted the Pyeongchang opening ceremony, leading to a massive cyberattack that devastated core servers and IT infrastructure. With critical systems now in the cloud, Olympic organizers gain enhanced threat detection, faster response to incidents, and stronger systemwide security.

Infor estimates that a different organization is attacked every 11 seconds. In particular, data breaches cost organizations an average of $3.24 million and 7.3 days of downtime from ransomware. The ramifications of even a single incident can be devastating.

On-premise ERP deployments can pose an increased security risk, depending on factors such as outdated or unsupported software, manual maintenance cycles, and limited security resources. Alternatively, cloud-based ERP such as Infor CloudSuite Industrial offers robust security advantages through automatic updates, firewall segmentation, and built-in security protocols.

Transitioning off on-prem ERP and strengthening security remains a top priority for the manufacturers we partner with. Lou Geier, IT manager at FPD Company, reflected on their recent Infor CloudSuite Industrial upgrade, sharing “Transitioning from on-prem to cloud ERP allowed us to decommission legacy hardware and software which increased our overall security posture”.

💡Resource: Cybersecurity Guide – How to Prevent Phishing Attacks

2. Optimize with End-to-End Insights

Real-time visibility into the Games smoothed operations and made results even more accessible to fans and broadcasters. Live updates benefited stakeholders at every level, from volunteers at stadiums, remote IT teams, to audiences seeking on-demand results at home. Ultimately, these enhancements resulted in smooth event execution and modern viewing experiences.

Cloud-based ERP helps teams make decisions on current and accurate data. Increasing visibility helps employees across the organization optimize forecasting, material management, pricing strategies, and more. C.U.E. leveraged live data in Infor CloudSuite Industrial to react to market pricing changes in real time by drilling down into the BOM and identifying specific parts impacted by raw material cost fluctuations.

💡Resource: Manufacturing Transformation – C.U.E., Inc.

3. Unlock System-Wide Efficiency

Moving the Olympics to the cloud unlocked new levels of efficiency. At Beijing 2022, broadcasters were able to download and edit live footage through a public cloud platform for the first time. This evolution significantly decreased infrastructure, hardware, and staff travel costs for both broadcasters and the host city.

Whether it’s enabling remote capabilities, automating production workflows, or improving collaboration, modernizing in the cloud translates into measurable business value. Electronics manufacturer Functional Devices shared that they have “grown employee efficiency by 25% over the past few years in terms of revenue per employee” after implementing Infor CloudSuite Industrial.

Extended cloud-based ERP tools also help manufacturers maximize productivity and ROI. SureShip, a shipping and fulfillment automation tool built for CloudSuite Industrial, helped automotive manufacturer Holley permanently eliminate their Saturday shift.

💡Resource: Video – Transform Your End-to-End Fulfillment Process with SureShip

4. Stay Agile with Added Scalability

The Olympics triggers unpredictable demand spikes on internal infrastructure. Elastic capacity in the cloud helps organizers maintain performance and scale quickly to meet changing demand. Similarly, cloud ERP helps manufacturers scale up and down without disruption to their business.

Thousands of manufacturers across the United States have benefited from the increased flexibility of cloud ERP. Annie Ortega, Vice President of Operations at Adams Extract and Spice commented, “We will be able to continue to grow into this system. It is very future-forward.”

💡Resource: Manufacturing Transformation – Adams Extract and Spice, LLC

5. Lay the Groundwork for Automation and AI Innovation

Since 2024, the IOC has committed to an AI strategic roadmap focused on supporting athletes’ safety, optimizing operations, and driving audience engagement. Successful execution of this initiative is dependent on infrastructure, workflows, and data that is elastic, efficient, and accessible.

Manufacturers today face a litany of challenges, including labor shortages, tariff pressures, and tightening margins. To grow, automation and AI are no longer enhancements; they’re requirements.

💡Resource: eBook – Close the ‘Value Void’ – How Top Manufacturers Unlock 50% Productivity Gains with AI

Raise the Bar

Bring the efficiency, visibility, and security of the cloud to your organization. Download our free eBook to explore the core benefits of going cloud, a needs analysis for manufacturing, and a downloadable ERP project planning template.

More About the Author: Sam Frumboli

With over 15 years’ experience partnering with businesses in the ERP and manufacturing sector, Sam has made it a passion of hers to help connect businesses with the right business partner, tools, and technology. As a demand generation leader, business coach, and freelance marketing consultant for start-ups and established brands, Sam focuses on dismantling complex ideas into actionable insights through creative marketing strategies and tactics. She has notably been featured in the Sociable, Women in Manufacturing, 40-Under-40, The Global Interview, and Forbes.