In a three-question interview, plusserver CEO Alexander Wallner talks about opportunities and challenges for Germany as a digital location and what he believes should be at the top of the political agenda.

The fast and stable availability of the Internet is an elementary prerequisite for digitalisation. Sascha Petzoldt explains how SachsenGigaBit is contributing to this in an interview with members.

The German federal government should facilitate the immigration of IT professionals from outside the EU. Over half (56 percent) of German citizens are in favour of this, according to a representative Civey survey commissioned by eco – Association of the Internet Industry. 30.5 per cent of German citizens are against it, 13.4 per cent are undecided.

Claudia Plattner is to become the new president of the German Federal Office for Information Security (BSI). Norbert Pohlmann, eco Board Member for IT Security, congratulates.

The Alliance for the Strengthening of Digital Infrastructures in Germany, initiated by the eco Association, denounces the Blue Angel guideline revisions planned by the German Environment Agency (UBA) as still unsuitable and impractical. Dr Béla Waldhauser, spokesperson of the Alliance for Strengthening Digital Infrastructures in Germany, comments.

A representative survey conducted by Civey on behalf of the eco Association has now answered the question of what is most important to German citizens when it comes to reporting critical content to a hotline.

Alexander Steiner explains in an interview how digital solutions can help to master this challenge. He works as Head of Operations, Partnership & Marketing at Findustrial GmbH. In his opinion, Equipment-as-a-Service offers more flexibility.

Business models in the cloud follow their own rules. In this respect, they challenge people and technology in equal measure. With a new initiative, EuroCloud Deutschland aims to help SMEs IT providers master the transformation. Recently, the EuroCloud Next leaders met as a forum for for the kick-off of IT entrepreneurs of tomorrow.

Giovanni Coppa heads the Mobility Competence Group at eco together with Martin Kumstel from Uber. We talked to him about his personal mobility patterns, the mobility of the future and his goals as the new Mobility Competence Group Leader.

When it comes to their online passwords, many people prefer continuity: In a representative Civey survey in Germany commissioned by the eco Association, 37.6 percent say they change their passwords less frequently than once a year.

IPv6 should soon become the predominant transport protocol, demands the Networks Competence Group in the eco Association. An eco survey is trying to determine which obstacles are currently preventing companies from switching completely from IPv4 to IPv6. Leader of the eco Networks Competence Group Falk von Bornstaedt explains the background in a short interview.

Bundling know-how to break new ground for digitalisation and data centres: Bernd Rüffer, Head of Business Development Datacenter, introduces WISAG Holding as a new eco member.

On Monday, Hessen’s Digital Minister Kristina Sinemus presented a study on the status of the information and communications industry (ICT) in Hessen in Frankfurt. The study also highlights the importance of data centres for Hessen’s economy.

eco’s Managing Director Alexander Rabe is certain that digitalisation is part of the solution for more sustainability, including in the field of agriculture and food. Consumers can contribute to more sustainability in the agriculture and the food industry with the help of digital solutions.

How can innovative digital technologies help to support and lighten the load on people's lives in rural areas? Read more in our interview with Prof. Peter Liggesmeyer and Steffen Hess on the "Digital Villages" research project.

On 10 January, the German Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier hosted the New Year’s Reception at Bellevue Palace. Oliver Süme, Chair of the Board of eco, was also invited to the New Year’s reception in Bellevue, where he once again emphasised the importance of a stringent digital policy.

The basic problem is that the Data Act offers too much bureaucracy and too few incentives for companies to process, use and share data.”

The momentum for Gaia-X is growing steadily. More and more companies and teams across Europe are joining the initiative. The first pilot projects are underway. But the complexity also gives rise to a lot of questions. Insider Emma Wehrwein from eco – Association of the Internet Industry answers some frequently asked questions...

Read the interview with Andreas Bachmann, CEO at Adacor Hosting GmbH.

Digital infrastructures as well as digital technologies and services, when used consistently in the right domains, offer immense potential for tackling climate change and other sustainability goals.

The AI Campus learning platform(www.ki-campus.org) has set itself the task of explaining the technical principles behind AI tools in a comprehensible way and strengthening AI skills in society. For this purpose, the AI Campus develops free online courses, videos and podcasts for beginners and advanced learners in English...

The mobility of the future is digital, connected and available on demand. “For a sustainable mobility transition, a mobility ecosystem is needed that enables the sovereign and secure exchange of data among all actors involved. Only in this way can providers realise connected platforms that determine the most suitable means of transport and the most efficient route, taking into account real-time data,” says Oliver Süme, Chair of the eco Board.

The directive “for a high common level of cyber security” appeared in the EU Official Journal at the end of December and will enter into force on 16 January 2023. Numerous companies, state-owned enterprises and public authorities will have to comply with new requirements in the area of cyber security. eco Board Member Klaus Landefeld comments.

Sustainability and the further increase in data-driven processes will continue to be the most important drivers of the digital transformation of the economy and society in 2023, according to the prognosis of eco – Association of the Internet Industry.

EuroCloud Germany launches its own initiative for young leaders in the IT industry: With "EuroCloud Next Leaders", the association offers a forum for the Managing Directors and entrepreneurs of tomorrow.

The Board of Trustees of the Weizenbaum Institute for the Networked Society has appointed eco’s Managing Director Alexander Rabe as a member of the Advisory Board for the next four years. The German Internet Institute is a joint project from Berlin and Brandenburg funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF).

The Internet industry – whether cloud start-ups, IT SMEs or Internet corporations – urgently needs more IT professionals of every skill level in 2023. The shortage of STEM professionals is expected to reach an all-time high in 2023. Lucia Falkenberg lists seven resolutions that will make companies more attractive for IT specialists.

An interview with Tobias Hüttner, Managing Director at Cloud Incubator GmbH.

To accompany the potential revitalisation of digital trade via the Trans-Atlantic Data Privacy Framework, two transatlantic dialogues were jointly hosted by the European-based eco Association and the U.S.-based i2Coalition, with these taking place on 6 October 2022 in Washington, D.C., and on 6 December in Brussels.

Social media has become an integral part of our everyday lives. 50 per cent of Germans over the age of 14 are regularly active on social media. Yet, at the same time, negative aspects such as hate speech or disinformation are dominating the debate around social media.