The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers invites you to the ICANN76 Community Forum in Cancún. The eco Association will attend the event and advocate among other things, for the protection of the DNS (Domain Name System) against abuse.

At 8.2 per cent, smart solutions in the heating sector are those most frequently used in German households. This is the result of a survey of 2,500 people conducted by the opinion research institute Civey on behalf of eco – Association of the Internet Industry in mid-February 2023.

The German funded project GXFS-DE released the first video of a series of scenario video series. These videos are designed to convey the complex technical concepts behind Gaia-X in an understandable way, highlighting real-world application scenarios. Each video is dedicated to a specific use case, focusing on the benefits and features of Gaia-X.

The threat situation is growing, say 93 per cent of the IT experts surveyed. 84 per cent of IT security experts believe that the war of aggression against Ukraine has exacerbated the threat situation. These are the results of the eco IT Security Survey 2023. Since 2010, the eco Association has been surveying the mood of the Internet industry about IT security and recently interviewed more than 100 experts from the IT security industry.

In November 2022, eco’s topDNS Initiative invited about 30 experts, including representatives of three different Directorate Generals by the EU Commission, to a workshop in Brussels to work together on a secure future for the DNS (Domain Name System). The topDNS Initiative has now published its 28-page final report.

eco Association welcomes the decision of the German Federal Constitutional Court regarding software data analysis undertaken by the police in Hessen and Hamburg. The court has declared the regulations on automated data analysis to be unconstitutional.

The year 2023 will be the year of artificial intelligence (AI). The hype around ChatGPT, the AI that can write essays, articles or texts within seconds using just a few lines of input, continues unabated. Voice assistants also use the potential of AI and are constantly developing to provide users with even better results....

On 9 February, the Gaia-X Roadshow made a stop in Hamburg. Gaia-X was experienced first-hand by over 60 guests at the VLET restaurant.

Demand for AI services is high: 71 percent of AI companies are focusing on the development and use of language models. More than 80 percent of the experts surveyed recommend building a German AI ecosystem. A study by the LEAM Initiative develops a concept for building a German AI supercomputing infrastructure.

With DC Smarter, founder and CEO Jörg Hesselink ensures that service technicians in the data centre receive more important information and recommendations even more efficiently – at the right time and in the right place.

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.