Tech giant Alibaba, a worldwide Olympic partner, has unveiled its Alibaba Cloud Pin, a digital wearable for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games that allows for the exchange of contact information in a safe and interactive manner.

Designed for broadcasting and media professionals, the pin can be worn either as a badge or on a lanyard, and will be deployed at the International Broadcasting Centre (IBC) and Main Press Centre (MPC) of the upcoming Games between July 23 and August 8.

The development of the cloud pin marks just one of the services Alibaba is providing the International Olympic Committee (IOC) as its official cloud services partner. The tech company has also launched the OBS Cloud, a broadcasting solution designed for the demanding content production and delivery workflows necessitated by the Olympic Games.

Chris Tung, CMO of Alibaba Group, said: “The Olympic Games has always been a thrilling event with opportunities for media staff to meet like-minded professionals. With this unprecedented Olympic Games, we want to use our technology to add new exciting elements to the Olympic pin tradition at the IBC and MPC while connecting media professionals and enabling them to maintain social interactions with safe distancing.”

The pin will serve as a multifunctional name tag, allowing users to meet and greet one another, add people to their friends list, and exchange daily activity updates. This can all be done by tapping pins together at arm’s length in accordance with social distancing measures.

Tung added: “As a proud Worldwide Olympic Partner, Alibaba is dedicated to the transformation of the Games in the digital era, making the experience more accessible, aspirational and inclusive for broadcasters, sports fans and athletes from across the world.”

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