Infomaniak

Last updated

Infomaniak Network
Company type SA
IndustryInternet
PredecessorSiegenthaler & Lucchi, TWS Infomaniak
Founded1994
FounderBoris Siegenthaler, Fabian Lucchi
Fate1990: creation of the computer club
1994: opening of the shop
Early 1996: internet access provider
Early 2000: hosting
Headquarters,
Services web hosting, VOD, streaming
Revenue
  • Increase2.svg CHF 26M (2020)
  • CHF 21M (2019)
Number of employees
200
Subsidiaries Infomaniak Entertainment
Website infomaniak.com

Infomaniak Network is Switzerland's largest web-hosting company, [1] also offering live-streaming and video on demand services. [2]

History

The company started as a user group founded in 1990 by Boris Siegenthaler in the Canton of Geneva, offering a bulletin board system to its members. In 1994, Siegenthaler and fellow developer Fabian Lucchi opened the Siegenthlaer & Lucchi computer store in the Genevan suburb of Châtelaine. They offered low-cost, custom-built computers – acting as an alternative to the larger distributors available at the time. [3] The same year, the pair purchased a modem and 64 kbs line, becoming the first privately owned Internet service provider in the canton (after CERN and the University of Geneva). From 1995 on and for a few months, the store offered complimentary internet access to all customers who purchased a computer with them. [4] In May 1997, Infomaniak became a fully-fledged ISP with the creation of TWS Infomaniak SA – the company developed its offer based on low-cost internet access and web-hosting services alongside its staple of computer equipment retail. [4]

On 1 January 1998, the Swiss state monopoly on telecom services came to an end and new providers were allowed onto the Swiss market. [5] Sunrise, a joint-venture between Tele Danmark and BT, started offering free internet access services, forcing the company to revise its strategy: in 1999, TWS Infomaniak was reincorporated to create Infomaniak Network. They specialised in web-hosting services for private users and small and medium-sized enterprises, including basic.ch, the first Swiss web radio. [6]

By 2003, Infomaniak was the largest web-host in Western Switzerland, and by July 2005, it was the largest web-radio broadcaster in Western Switzerland and France. [7]

In 2007, the company created and launched their sustainability charter. [8] [9] [10] As a result, it implemented a number of key measures including joining an ethical pension fund on behalf of its employees, a commitment to sustainable travel, and donating 1% of its annual revenue to a range of NGOs. [8] [11]

In 2010, the company created a subsidiary – Infomaniak Entertainment – marking the company's expansion into the ticketing, staff, and accreditation-management. [12]

Infomaniak's main business remains as a webhost and registrar. In 2011, the company announced that they managed more than 100,000 domain names. [13] They opened their third data centre in 2014. As with all their facilities, the new data centre was fully sustainable – using 100% renewable energy and low-voltage technologies. The centre was heralded as the "greenest there is in Switzerland" with a PUE under 1.1, [14] which won the company the Geneva sustainability prize. [15]

Infomaniak fully switched to SSD technology at the end of 2015. [16] 2016 figures from the company suggest that it managed more than 200,000 domain names, 150,000 site, and 350 radio/TV stations. It also became one of the first web companies to implement the then new Let's Encrypt SSL Certificates. [17]

According to CEO Boris Siegenthaler in 2016, Infomaniak's customer base was composed of businesses (70%) and individuals (30%), small to mid-sized businesses representing a significant portion of sales. Around 30% of customers came from France and Belgium, and the company had 60 employees. [18]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University of Lausanne</span> University in Lausanne, Switzerland

The University of Lausanne in Lausanne, Switzerland, was founded in 1537 as a school of Protestant theology, before being made a university in 1890. The university is the second oldest in Switzerland, and one of the oldest universities in the world to be in continuous operation. As of fall 2017, about 15,000 students and 3,300 employees studied and worked at the university. Approximately 1,500 international students attend the university, which has a wide curriculum including exchange programs with other universities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Canton of Geneva</span> Canton of Switzerland

The Canton of Geneva, officially the Republic and Canton of Geneva, is one of the 26 cantons of the Swiss Confederation. It is composed of forty-five municipalities, and the seat of the government and parliament is in the city of Geneva.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Romandy</span> French-speaking part of Switzerland

Romandy is the French-speaking historical and cultural region of Switzerland. In 2020, about 2 million people, or 22.8% of the Swiss population, lived in Romandy. The majority of the romand population lives in the western part of the country, especially the Arc Lémanique region along Lake Geneva, connecting Geneva, Vaud, and the Lower Valais.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Satigny</span> Municipality in Geneva, Switzerland

Satigny is a municipality of the Canton of Geneva, Switzerland. It is the largest municipality of the canton by land area and the largest wine-producing municipality of the country. Its territory contains the majority of the Mandement area, a designated heritage site of national importance shared with the neighbouring municipalities of Russin and Dardagny.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Banque cantonale de Genève</span> Swiss cantonal bank in Geneva

Banque Cantonale de Genève (BCGE) is a limited company established under Swiss public law, resulting from the merger of the Caisse d'Épargne de la République et Canton de Genève and the Banque Hypothécaire du Canton de Genève. It is one of the 24 cantonal banks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Geneva Citizens' Movement</span> Political party in Switzerland

The Geneva Citizens' Movement, abbreviated to MCG, is a regionalist populist political party in the Canton of Geneva, Switzerland. On its own initiative, it started, and is a part of, the wider Romandy Citizens' Movement, abbreviated to MCR.

Éric Stauffer is a Swiss politician from Homberg. He chaired the Genevan Citizens Movement from 2008 to 2012.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pierre Maudet</span>

Pierre Maudet is a Swiss and French politician. A former member of FDP.The Liberals, he was the mayor of Geneva from 1 June 2011 to 31 May 2012.

The Fédération des Entreprises Romandes Genève is a Swiss employer's organization based in Geneva, Switzerland. It groups 28,000 members, including multinational corporations as well as 9,000 independent workers and 80 trade associations. It is involved in negotiations with the trade unions, political lobbying and the provision of services and business networking opportunities for its members.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Guillaume Barazzone</span> Swiss politician

Guillaume Barazzone, is a politician and member of the Swiss Christian Democratic Party (CDP). He is elected to the Administrative Council for the City of Geneva in 2012 and member of the Swiss National Council since December 2013.

The Library Network of Western Switzerland was founded by several major libraries in 1985, in the French-speaking region of Romandy in western Switzerland. RERO is a syllabic abbreviation of "Réseau Romand".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Guy Parmelin</span> Swiss Federal Councillor since 2016

Guy Bernard Parmelin is a Swiss Federal Councillor and head of the Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research. A member of the Swiss People's Party (SVP/UDC), he has been a member of the Federal Council since 2016, and has led the Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research since 2019. He previously led the Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sports between 2016 and 2018. He served as president of Switzerland in 2021, having previously served as vice president of Switzerland in 2020.

Mirabaud is a Swiss private bank based in Geneva, Switzerland. Mirabaud provides services in wealth management, asset management and brokerage to private clients and institutions around the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pierre Hemmer (entrepreneur)</span>

Pierre Hemmer, born on March 8, 1950 in Fribourg and died on June 26, 2013 in Mons (Var), was a business leader and executive of the Swiss Confederation, active in particular in the field of the Internet. In 1995, he was, with his firm M&Cnet, the only public service provider in the Canton of Fribourg and many other parts of Switzerland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Antonio Hodgers</span> Swiss politician

Antonio Hodgers is a Swiss politician and member of the Green Party of Switzerland. He has been Councillor of State of Geneva since December 2013, and president of the Council of State from 13 September 2018 to 17 October 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">René Prêtre</span> Swiss surgeon (born 1957)

René Prêtre is a Swiss pediatric heart surgeon at the University Hospital of Lausanne. He has performed thousands of surgeries on children's hearts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Céline Amaudruz</span> Swiss politician (born 1979)

Céline Marie-Claire Amaudruz is a Swiss banker, attorney and politician who currently serves on the National Council (Switzerland) for the Swiss People's Party since 2011. Amaudruz previously served as president of the Grand Council of Geneva between 2010 and 2016. She is among the richest Swiss politicians in the legislative estimated by Handelszeitung.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2017 Swiss Federal Council election</span>

A by-election to the Swiss Federal Council was held on 20 September 2017, after federal councillor Didier Burkhalter (FDP-NE) announced he would leave the Council effective 31 October 2017. The by-election resulted in the election of Ignazio Cassis (FDP-TI), resulting in no change in the partisan composition of the council.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yves Nidegger</span> Swiss politician (born 1957)

Yves Robert Nidegger is a Swiss attorney and politician who formerly served as a member of the National Council (Switzerland) for the Swiss People's Party between 2007 and 2023 being succeeded by Thomas Bläsi. Previously, he was a member of the Grand Council of Geneva from 2005 to 2009, respectively congressional vice president of the Swiss People's Party Geneva from 2004 to 2006 and 2009 to 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chloé Frammery</span> French-Swiss math teacher, activist, vlogger, and lecturer

Chloé Frammery, also known as Chloé F., is a French-Swiss math teacher, activist, vlogger, and lecturer. Her media coverage and popularity are due in particular for her contribution to the information about the COVID-19 pandemic as part of the protests against responses to the COVID-19 pandemic.

References

  1. Seydtaghia, Anouch (11 February 2016). "Infomaniak accélère sa diversification". Le Temps . Archived from the original on 26 October 2016. Retrieved 26 October 2016.
  2. Willemin, Alexandre (10 June 2013). "Chefs d'entreprise: entre travail et sommeil, un équilibre difficile à trouver". MM. Archived from the original on 27 October 2016. Retrieved 26 October 2016.
  3. Praz, Nathalie (March 2014). "Dans l'antre romand des geeks". Focus PME. Retrieved 26 October 2016.
  4. 1 2 Boris, Siegenthaler (2013). "Historique d'Infomaniak" (PDF). Retrieved 26 October 2016.
  5. "Swisscom et Sunrise concluent un premier accord tarifaire". Le Temps. 6 November 1997. Retrieved 26 October 2016.
  6. "Basic diffuse sur le net le meilleur des musiques électroniques". Le Temps . 22 May 1998. Archived from the original on 26 October 2016. Retrieved 26 October 2016.
  7. "Infomaniak Network". Remix Jobs. 2015. Archived from the original on 10 September 2016. Retrieved 26 October 2016.
  8. 1 2 RTS.ch (19 January 2015). "T.T.C. (Toutes taxes comprises)". rts.ch. Retrieved 26 October 2016.
  9. "Des Geeks et des lettres". desgeeksetdeslettres.com. Retrieved 26 October 2016.
  10. "Charte écologique infomaniak". infomaniak.com. Infomaniak Network. 2007. Retrieved 26 October 2016.
  11. "Russie.fr s'engage dans le green IT". Green IT. 26 June 2012. Retrieved 26 October 2016.
  12. "Infomaniak Entertainment SA Carouge GE – Moneyhouse". moneyhouse.ch. Retrieved 26 October 2016.
  13. Praz, Nathalie (2014). "La success-story d'un geek romand". Focus PME. Retrieved 26 October 2016.
  14. "Infomaniak : 14% d'augmentation du chiffre d'affaires en 2014". Cominmag. 14 April 2015. Retrieved 26 October 2016.
  15. "Bourse, prix et distinction : lauréats 2015 | Agenda 21 – République et canton de Genève (Suisse) – ge.ch". ge.ch. Canton of Geneva. 2015. Archived from the original on 4 November 2016. Retrieved 26 October 2016.
  16. "Première suisse: Infomaniak équipe ses Datacenters avec des disques durs SSD / Amélioration significative des performances". presseportal.ch. 23 November 2015. Retrieved 26 October 2016.
  17. Legrand, David (1 February 2016). "Let's Encrypt disponible chez Infomaniak : comment activer un certificat SSL/TLS gratuit". Next INpact. Retrieved 26 October 2016.
  18. "Infomaniak is top of mind in Switzerland, emerged from unconventional roots – Interview with Boris Siegenthaler, CEO of Infomaniak". HostAdvice. 28 March 2016.