Sicra has been Infinitum’s IT and cybersecurity partner for many years. The collaboration has ensured high uptime, availability, and security for Infinitum – the hub of Norway’s world-leading deposit return system. When millions of Norwegians return their deposits, the systems must function around the clock, year-round.
The deposit return system must always work: How Sicra ensures uptime and security for Infinitum
– Once, several years ago, we were hit by a ransom virus – ransomware. With Sicra’s help, we were back in full production after a couple of days, without any data being lost or having paid a ransom, begins Tor Guttulsrud, CFO of Infinitum.
Infinitum owns and operates the Norwegian deposit return system. The system handles deposits, logistics, and settlement for grocery chains, stores, kiosks, cafeterias, school bands, nightlife venues, and everyone else who delivers deposit items across the country.
For our unique, world-leading deposit return system to function, stable and secure IT operations are absolutely critical. In 2025, more than 1.6 billion bottles and cans were collected from nearly 11,000 collection points and delivered to four production facilities that prepare plastic and aluminum for recycling and for a very high share of reuse in a closed circular system.
Dependent on uptime – and on the right partner
– We are going to collect deposits at all locations in Norway where empty cans and bottles are returned, whether it’s in the middle of a city, far up in the mountains, or on the outermost barren island, Guttulsrud continues.
Infinitum has nearly NOK 5 billion in revenue, of which a high share consists of paid-in deposits that are mainly distributed to thousands of actors. Every 14 days, Infinitum ensures that everyone who returns deposits is refunded their deposit payments. Infinitum also ensures that empty containers—plastic bottles and aluminum cans—are collected and recycled. If one link in the value chain fails, trust in the entire deposit return system can be undermined, which has negative environmental consequences and drives up costs.
The company has a small administration with only 12 employees. The organization is entirely dependent on having external IT and security partners. At the same time, the IT systems must be available 24/7. Infinitum’s systems handle large values and complex logistics operations and data flows. Downtime has negative consequences for both deposit customers and beverage producers, as well as for transport operators who collect bags of empty containers for onward transport to distribution hubs and production facilities.
Challenging to build security expertise internally
– We are completely dependent on an IT partner like Sicra. It is demanding and expensive to build sufficiently broad IT expertise internally, especially in the area of security, says Guttulsrud.
Sicra has been Infinitum’s IT partner for many years and has delivered hardware, integrations, IT operations, and security solutions, both to the administration in Oslo and to the four production facilities in Lillestrøm, Stavanger, Trondheim, and Narvik.
– I have always felt that Sicra is very receptive to requests and criticism. They respond quickly. They know us well and are highly competent, especially in the area of security, says Guttulsrud.
Hybrid infrastructure and historical data back to 1999
Infinitum has a complex IT infrastructure consisting of both internally developed systems and apps, commercial business systems, and administrative software. The apps used by transport operators when collecting and scanning bags of empty containers are developed in-house. In addition, Infinitum has stored around 16 TB of live data together with detailed deposit data dating back to 1999.
Guttulsrud explains that Infinitum has a hybrid infrastructure where data and systems are partly on local servers (on-prem) and partly in the cloud. Sicra has overall responsibility for security across local systems, hybrid infrastructure, and cloud solutions.
– Together with Sicra, we are in the process of moving everything to the cloud, but regardless of whether we are talking about on-prem, hybrid, or the cloud, security is handled by Sicra, says Guttulsrud.
Long-term partnership with Sicra
The collaboration with Sicra has contributed to very few serious incidents over the years.
– Most people are very satisfied with the IT solutions we have. We have many custom-built solutions and we use a lot of different software in a hybrid environment. That makes cybersecurity complex. It’s true that the more secure things become, the more difficult it can be to get your job done. Together with Sicra, we have found a good balance between security and functionality, says Guttulsrud.
Over its 25 years of operations, Infinitum has also had other IT suppliers, but none have threatened Sicra’s position as the preferred partner.
– We do not want our IT partners to be too small. In that case, they often do not have sufficient expertise internally and have to source it from subcontractors. At the same time, it is not necessarily an advantage to have a partner that is very large. Then a company of Infinitum’s size can quickly become a small customer. Size is not synonymous with deep expertise or with having many people who know you well as a customer, says Guttulsrud, and adds:
– In any case, the quality of the collaboration with the partner is quite person-dependent. We have always been very satisfied with the Sicra consultants. They are skilled, proactive, and always inclined to help us.
Reliable IT builds trust in the deposit return system
The unique, world-leading Norwegian deposit return system is built on trust and on the system always functioning throughout the entire value chain: From when you go to the store and return your containers all the way until the empty containers end up in new products. The entire value chain must be environmentally friendly, sustainable, and cost-efficient at every stage. It is critical that Infinitum’s IT solutions work every day, all year round. The collaboration with Sicra has delivered high uptime and cost-efficient IT operations.
Infinitum’s goal is that all bottles and cans with a deposit label are returned and recycled into new, high-quality beverage packaging in a closed circular system. In 2024, Infinitum achieved a return rate of 93 percent. Out of 1.7 billion bottles and cans sold, 1.6 billion were collected and reused. This resulted in a reduction in energy consumption of 350 million kWh.
Choosing products with a deposit label and returning all deposits is one of the easiest and most important things we can all do for the environment. With high collection rates, very high material quality, and a high degree of reuse in new beverage packaging in the Norwegian market, Infinitum can rightfully call itself the world’s best deposit return system.
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