In this interview, Felix Höger, CEO of EuroCloud, talks about the role of resilience in the cloud and AI environment. He explains why highly available infrastructures are so crucial for the operation of AI applications, why modern AI would be inconceivable without the cloud, and how companies can achieve a balance between cost-effectiveness, sovereignty and resilience when developing cloud-based AI strategies.

Smartphone apps accompany us wherever we go, along with a multi-layered digital infrastructure that remains hidden from most people. Behind every gesture on the display, a complex interplay of Internet exchanges, data centres, content services and global providers unfolds... all of which somehow takes place in the cloud. Having a 'simple' app in your pocket actually means dozens of servers and networks are working in parallel. A recent analysis makes this invisible network tangible.

On 31 August 2025, the consultation period for the extension of the amendment to the German  Telecommunications Act ended, and with it the opportunity to officially comment on the key points. eco – Association of the Internet Industry sees the key points of the German Federal Ministry for Digital Affairs (BMDS) as important impetus for the expansion of fibre optics and mobile communications in Germany.

Regarding the draft law on transparency and targeting of political advertising from the Federal Ministry for Digital and Public Administration, eco warns of massive understaffing of the responsible authorities. In the future, the German Federal Network Agency (BNetzA) is to function as the coordinating body for digital services – however, this does not even achieve half of the originally calculated staffing requirements.

Silke Kanes is the latest addition to the eco Association's Board. In this interview, she discusses her motivation for playing an active role in shaping digital transformation, the opportunities presented by the rapidly growing SaaS market, and the importance of diversity and corporate culture in driving innovation.

At today’s eco General Assembly, Silke Kanes was elected as a new member of the Board. With her appointment, the Association of the Internet Industry is expanding its Executive Board with a portfolio for Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) as well as diversity and corporate culture, which Kanes will now take on.

Digital resilience is more than just a buzzword: it determines whether companies remain capable of acting in times of crisis. In this interview, Katharina M. Schwarz from Myra explains why we need to focus on a “mixed forest” instead of technical monocultures – and how true digital sovereignty can be achieved.

dotmagazine is the online international magazine covering Internet industry topics. It features exciting articles from members & partners and covers the entire spectrum of the Internet industry. This edition of dotmagazine explores how diversity, inclusion, and New Work principles – amplified by AI and digital sovereignty – are reshaping the future of innovation and collaboration.  

With the AI transformation and structural change, the Rhineland region is developing into a digital hub in the heart of Europe. In an interview with eco, Emil Issagholian (RheinEnergie) explains the role of energy infrastructure in this development.

The new members+ member portal enables direct interaction and collaboration for the eco community in the digital space and provides access to exclusive information and material. After the first few months, eco’s Managing Director Andreas Weiss takes initial stock of the portal in an interview.

Data centres are a key growth driver for Germany as a business location. To enable Germany to realise the full potential of artificial intelligence and digital innovations, eco has formulated five key requirements for a data centre strategy of the German federal government.

With the Email Security Year 2025 initiative, the German Federal Office for Information Security (BSI), eco Association and Bitkom are sending a strong signal for secure digital communication. At the heart of the initiative is the newly established “Hall of Fame”, which at its launch includes around 120 companies.

eco Association warns against recent plans presented for three-month IP storage obligation. eco Chair Oliver Süme sees this as a clear violation of European law, massive infringements of fundamental rights, and offering no real added value for investigations. Rather than billions of data mountains without added value, the association calls for rule-of-law alternatives such as the Quick Freeze model.

Measures to protect sensitive data are no longer sufficient when it comes to the security of connected vehicles. A “digital airbag” is needed, says member of the Advisory Board of the eco Mobility Competence Group, Dr. Julian Weber. Why? He provides an initial overview of the topic in this interview. Find out more in his presentation at the eco Internet Security Days (ISDs) 2025.

In 2024, the eco Complaints Office team examined a total of 25,893 reports of potentially criminal or youth protection-related Internet content. As in previous years, sexualised violence against children and young people accounted for the largest share of reports, making up around 82%. The Annual Report of the eco Complaints Office 2024 shows that 99% of the content reported to the Complaints Office was removed.

The eco Association takes stock of digital policy after 100 days of the new German federal government. Although the Federal Ministry for Digital Affairs has fulfilled a long-standing demand of the industry, many core digital projects have not yet crossed the starting line. eco sees urgent need for action, particularly in the areas of AI, data centres, administrative digitisation and data protection. eco also critically evaluates the plans for data retention in the new security package.

In this eco interview, Martin Küchenthal, Managing Director of LEMARIT, explains why a stable and secure digital brand identity is so important. He also talks about current dangers in the digital space and how artificial intelligence can make the work of specialists easier.

In an exclusive interview, Patrick Schönowski, Policy Officer for Digital Policy at the German SME Association (DMB), explains why IT security is an essential competitive factor and where politicians need to do more to support SMEs.

In addition to well-known Internet endings such as “.de” and “.com”, there is now a wide range of abbreviations that web addresses can end with – and rightly so, as a recent YouGov survey commissioned by eco shows. More than half of Germans consider them to be useful. Thomas Rickert, Director Names & Numbers at eco, contextualises the results.

Just in time for the approaching heatwave, we ask the question: How can people and plants cool down as energy-efficiently as possible? The IoT Competence Group of eco Association provides smart tips for cooling down.

The German Federal Constitutional Court has declared key regulations concerning Lawful Interception at the Source (Quellen-TKÜ) and online state searches to be partially unconstitutional. eco Board Member Klaus Landefeld welcomes the decision but warns of unresolved risks for IT security.

AI is only as good as the data it works with – but this is precisely where the risk lies. Confidential AI, however, protects data and models directly during processing. So, is the key to trustworthy AI actually in the cloud?

In this interview, Jens-Philipp Jung discusses the company’s beginnings, technological paradigm shifts in IT security, and the widening gap between security requirements and corporate reality.

In this interview, Tim Cappelmann, Managing Director of AirITSystems GmbH, explains what digitalisation really means today – and why it can only succeed with a stable security foundation.

One year ago, on 1 August 2024, the European AI Act came into force – a historic milestone for the global regulation of artificial intelligence. Europe has thus set comprehensive standards.

eco – Association of the Internet Industry regards the High-Tech Agenda of the Federal Ministry of Education, Research, Technology and Space as an important step towards enabling digital innovations “made in Germany”. With this initiative, the German federal government is sending a strong signal for the country’s future viability and demonstrating its recognition of the importance of digital innovation. The Association particularly welcomes the fact that Artificial Intelligence is identified as the number one key technology in the agenda.

The cabinet decision on the implementation of the NIS 2 Directive was announced today. This puts cybersecurity back on the political agenda – with tangible implications for companies in critical sectors. eco KRITIS expert Ulrich Plate explains the questions that remain unanswered in his latest assessment.

Quantum computers are developing faster than expected and pose a threat to traditional encryption methods. Crypto agility is becoming a prerequisite for long-term IT security in companies.

With the leaked draft of the "Security Package 2.0", the German Federal Ministry of the Interior is planning far-reaching digital surveillance powers – some of which would not be subject to judicial review. eco – Association of the Internet Industry warns against dismantling constitutional safeguards and calls for a reorientation in line with fundamental rights.

NIS2, CSA, CRA and e-evidence: eco's Competence Group on Critical Infrastructures (KRITIS) calls for clear, practical rules for digital resilience in EU cybersecurity policy.