--- title: "By the Numbers: Solving the Olympic IT Puzzle" description: "Snowboarders and figure skaters aren't the only ones who have put in their hours at the Sochi Olympics. An army of IT pros bearing titles such as \"Head of Major Events\" have been working for seven years to tackle one of the most complex IT jobs in the world. So, what does it take to manage and secure Olympic-caliber infrastructure?" canonical_url: https://www.acronis.com/en/blog/posts/numbers-solving-olympic-it-puzzle/ locale: en last_updated: 2026-10-27 --- [Acronis Blog](https://www.acronis.com/en/blog/) # By the Numbers: Solving the Olympic IT Puzzle Snowboarders and figure skaters aren't the only ones who have put in their hours at the Sochi Olympics. An army of IT pros bearing titles such as "Head of Major Events" have been working for seven years to tackle one of the most complex IT jobs in the world. So, what does it take to manage and secure Olympic-caliber infrastructure? [Learn More](https://www.acronis.com/en/products/cyber-protect/) [![Image 2: Acronis Editorial Team](https://staticfiles.acronis.com/images/content/d85707ae91461544212d39836dc32b42.png)](https://www.acronis.com/en/blog/authors/acronis/ "Acronis Editorial Team") [Acronis Editorial Team](https://www.acronis.com/en/blog/authors/acronis/) 2 min read Last updated 20 November 2022 Snowboarders and figure skaters aren't the only ones who have put in their hours at the Sochi Olympics. An army of IT pros bearing titles such as "Head of Major Events" have been working for seven years to tackle one of the most complex IT jobs in the world. So, what does it take to manage and secure Olympic-caliber infrastructure? Consider what Atos, the French company responsible for overseeing the entire IT infrastructure in Sochi, has been up against: * Nearly 6,000 athletes are competing in 98 medal events in Sochi. * 25,000 volunteers are on-hand to support the athletes, spectators and media. * The technological infrastructure alone includes 400 servers and 5,600 PCs that provide data journalists and viewers worldwide. * It took seven years and more than 100,0000 testing hours preparing for the Olympics. Patrick Adiba, the CEO of major events at Atos and the person responsible for overseeing the Sochi operation, tells CNET's Daniel Terdiman that Atos' contract with the International Olympic Committee, which includes several previous Olympics, is "the largest IT sports-related contract in the world, and its requirements and challenges are beyond that of most organizations." Notes Terdiman: "It's kind of hard to imagine that with some construction still under way even as visitors arrive in Sochi, officials would be able to keep up and running a technology system tasked with recording and measuring the entire Olympics, broadcasting it around the world, and ensuring everything and everyone stays safe, come what may." Glitches happen, especially in the digital age. The production crew for the [technologically advanced](http://subzeroblog.acronis.com/posts/numbers-solving-olympic-it-puzzle) opening ceremony found that out when one of five snowflakes that descended into the stadium failed to open into an Olympic ring. But for the IT system thus far, it's been a problem-free Olympics. Thought handling [Olympic competition data](http://subzeroblog.acronis.com/posts/how-one-olympic-historian-going-data-gold-sochi) was a big enough task? Consider the immense manpower and computing power necessary to manage, secure and distribute all of that data. From that perspective, a malfunctioning Olympic ring isn't such a big deal. h/t CNET [Image via Mashable] [Cybersecurity](https://www.acronis.com/en/blog/tags/cybersecurity/) [Cyber protection](https://www.acronis.com/en/blog/tags/cyber-protection/) ## Written by ![Image 3: Acronis Editorial Team](https://staticfiles.acronis.com/images/content/d85707ae91461544212d39836dc32b42.png) Acronis Editorial Team Acronis is a global cyber protection company that provides natively integrated cybersecurity, data protection, and endpoint management for managed service providers (MSPs), small and medium businesses (SMBs), and enterprise IT departments. [Previous post](https://www.acronis.com/en/blog/posts/data-loss-costs-healthcare-billions-biometrics-go-mainstream-top-skills-it-pros-weekly-roundup/) [Data Loss Costs Healthcare Billions, Biometrics Go Mainstream & Top Skills for IT Pros: Weekly Roundup](https://www.acronis.com/en/blog/posts/data-loss-costs-healthcare-billions-biometrics-go-mainstream-top-skills-it-pros-weekly-roundup/) [Next post](https://www.acronis.com/en/blog/posts/quantum-data-memory-and-not-so-distant-future-data-storage/) [Quantum Data Memory and the Not-So-Distant Future of Data Storage](https://www.acronis.com/en/blog/posts/quantum-data-memory-and-not-so-distant-future-data-storage/) About Acronis Acronis is a leader in AI-native cyber protection, unifying data protection, cybersecurity, IT operations and hybrid infrastructure to deliver business continuity, security and compliance with less cost and complexity. More than 21,000 service providers trust Acronis to protect over 750,000 businesses in 150 countries. Acronis is headquartered in Schaffhausen, Switzerland. [Add as a preferred source on Google](https://google.com/preferences/source?q=acronis.com) ## Related stories Want to learn more? Read the latest stories featuring this solution on our blog. [Acronis Blog](https://www.acronis.com/en/blog/) ![Image 4: stc Bahrain and Acronis partner to bring advanced endpoint security to businesses in Bahrain](https://staticfiles.acronis.com/images/blog-card/9600f3eea83b8f4e168ea6c1409c8c26.png) [stc Bahrain and Acronis partner to bring advanced endpoint security to businesses in Bahrain](https://www.acronis.com/en/blog/posts/stc-bahrain-and-acronis-partner-to-bring-endpoint-security-to-businesses/) We are proud to announce a strategic partnership with stc Bahrain, expanding access to advanced cybersecurity services for businesses across Bahrain. **October 26, 2026**3 min read ![Image 5: Introducing New Acronis CEO: Prakash Panjwani](https://staticfiles.acronis.com/images/blog-card/30cb571f6f1aaa131733e5727a4a250c.png) [Introducing New Acronis CEO: Prakash Panjwani](https://www.acronis.com/en/blog/posts/introducing-new-acronis-ceo-prakash-panjwani/) We are pleased to announce the appointment of our new Chief Executive Officer, Prakash Panjwani. A veteran cybersecurity CEO, Panjwani previously served as CEO of WatchGuard Technologies and SafeNet. **October 15, 2026**2 min read ![Image 6: Acronis expands MDR toward broader workspace protection](https://staticfiles.acronis.com/images/blog-card/18e90e89f5ec4ef0901f19008d4ccbf2.png) [Acronis expands MDR toward broader workspace protection](https://www.acronis.com/en/blog/posts/acronis-expands-mdr-toward-broader-workspace-protection/) Acronis is expanding the MDR service with capabilities that make this expertise easier to deliver and help partners address more risks. The developments build on a broader commitment to managed security: helping service providers protect the connected workspace while giving customers access to the expertise needed to investigate threats, respond effectively and maintain business continuity. **October 13, 2026**6 min read