This is what the Eurovision Song Contest 2015 looked like in data, facts and figures

| Thomas Lutz

Vienna, 1st June

  • The official Eurovision Song Contest App was downloaded 1.24 million times in more than 208 countries. During the final show, more than 1 million fans used the app run on a Microsoft Azure cloud backend.
  • Several terabytes of videos were exchanged via the cloud platform Microsoft Azure with over 40 TV channels.
  • With 800 Lumia 535 smartphones, the volunteers and delegations always had the most important information available – via Yammer, 500 crew members were kept up to date all the time before and during the shows.

MSFT_EurovisionContest_graphic-2.5Almost 200 million viewers made the Eurovision Song Contest the biggest TV entertainment show in the world again this year. With the slogan “Building Bridges”, the ESC managed to overcome not only geographical and cultural, but also technological barriers. Thanks to Microsoft Technologies, the technical challenges of the event could be mastered, such as the voting process, data transfer in real time, the coordination of the crew and volunteers, and the coordination with TV stations around the world.

“Our cloud-based services contributed to the success of the mega event and fulfilled the high expectations regarding security and stability”, Lukas Keller, Innovation Spokesman for Microsoft Österreich, is pleased to report.

Eurovision Song Contest Executive Producer Edgar Böhm adds: “We’re very glad that with Microsoft, we had exactly the right partner by our side, with whose support we were able to organise countless processes as smoothly as possible both in front of the cameras and behind the scenes. In this way, we were able to offer millions of TV viewers around the world a fascinating anniversary show and to present Austria to the whole world in the best light.”

Facts and figures on the Microsoft Technologies used – an overview

  • 24 million app downloads. The official Eurovision Song Contest App, realised by the digital agencies digame mobile and APPSfactory, provided fans with all the information on the ESC, and transformed smartphones and tablets into the ultimate second screen during the shows, with live updates and a voting feature. 1.24 million fans from 208 countries downloaded the Eurovision Song Contest App for Windows, iOS and Android – putting the application in first place for top iPhone apps in key ESC countries such as Germany and Sweden. At the high point of the final show, more than a million fans were using the app – secure, stabile and fast via Microsoft Azure in the background.
  • 1,065 contributions on Yammer. Over 500 members of the production team communicated actively via Yammer in the planning and coordination before and during the shows. The “social network for companies” functioned as a knowledge and exchange platform for all information on the progress of events, as well as an essential feedback channel. More than 1,000 contributions were made and 190 files were viewed 6,000 times.
  • Several terabytes of data transferred. As the basic cloud service for data storage, apps and networks, Microsoft Azure formed the backbone of the IT infrastructure for the ESC. Azure solutions for data storage, media services and websites guaranteed a smooth exchange of videos among the participating TV channels, as well as the uninterrupted operation of a video-on-demand solution. Several terabytes of videos on demand were streamed from 40 countries – at the highest security level, using multi-factor authentication and DRM.
  • 800 smartphones in use. Microsoft provided the volunteers with a total of 800 Lumia 535 smartphones, which supported them everywhere – both on and behind the scenes – in contributing to the great success of the ESC.

Further information:

Photo credits

  • When using images of the Eurovision Song Contest, please note the respective credits indicated.
  • Photo credits for the Microsoft Technologies and gadgets used: © Microsoft May be printed by the press free of charge

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