The World Aquatics governing body has announced a strategic tie-up with Alibaba Cloud, the digital technology and intelligence arm of the Chinese ecommerce giant.
As part of the deal, Alibaba Cloud has been appointed as the global exclusive cloud supplier for the federation.
World Aquatics claims that for the first time in history, the core systems of an international sports federation will be fully migrated to the cloud.
The collaboration will run from 2025 through to 2028 and will be activated across all World Aquatics events, including multiple World Aquatics Championships, World Cup cycles, as well as on all World Aquatics’ digital platforms.
Alibaba Cloud will deliver a full suite of cloud services and AI-driven solutions to support World Aquatics’ global digital operations and data strategy.
Some of the key initiatives the two parties will collaborate on include launching a new web platform and mobile application for all athletes, coaches, and fans, developing a customer data platform, and integrating Alibaba Cloud’s AI technology across different platforms and solutions.
World Aquatics insists that the partnership will "enhance its capability to serve athletes, coaches, clubs and all of its stakeholders more effectively."
Husain Al Musallam, World Aquatics president, said: “This is a significant step forward for World Aquatics. Alibaba Cloud brings not only global cloud coverage and proven technical expertise, but also a great understanding of the demands of international sport on digital platforms.
“This partnership will allow us to scale our operations, improve our platforms’ stability, enhance data security, and serve our community more effectively.”
Selina Yuan, president of international business at Alibaba Cloud Intelligence, added: “Alibaba Cloud is dedicated to driving the digital transformation of global sports through our leading AI and cloud computing technologies.
“This exclusive partnership not only showcases our long-standing commitment to sports innovation, but also creates new opportunities to elevate the aquatic sports experience for athletes, organizations, and fans worldwide.”
