World Aquatics Partners with Alibaba Cloud for Digital Transformation

World Aquatics has appointed Alibaba Cloud as its Global Exclusive Cloud Supplier, marking the first time an international sports federation will fully migrate its core systems to the cloud, a process set to take place between 2025 and 2028. Under this multi-year agreement, Alibaba Cloud will support the digital infrastructure of World Aquatics’ operations, which encompasses its championships, World Cup cycles, membership systems, web services and mobile platforms.

This decision represents a substantial shift in how sports organisations manage their IT infrastructure and services for athletes. By leveraging Alibaba Cloud’s global infrastructure, AI expertise and scalable architecture, World Aquatics aims to achieve greater operational stability, improved data security and enhanced performance during events. This cloud partnership aligns with the federation’s vision of uniting the world through aquatic sports, allowing it to strengthen interactions with athletes, coaches, member federations and fan communities across all aquatic disciplines.

President Husain Al Musallam emphasised the significance of the collaboration, stating: “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.” Echoing this sentiment, Selina Yuan, President of International Business at Alibaba Cloud Intelligence, commented: “We are thrilled to reach this significant milestone in collaboration with World Aquatics. 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, organisations, and fans worldwide.”

Key initiatives under this partnership include the migration and upgrade of the next-generation General Management System (GMS), which is utilised by national federations and athletes globally, to Alibaba Cloud’s environment. Plans also include launching a redesigned web platform and mobile app tailored for athletes, coaches and fans, as well as deploying a Customer Data Platform to facilitate personalised communication and services for different audience segments. Further integration of AI tools across operations aims to optimise processes and enhance user experience across World Aquatics’ platforms.