21unity is an IT service provider. What services do you offer in this context and what are your most important products?

21unity is more than just a service provider. In addition to our system house division with a focus on security solutions, we operate our own data center, are a cloud service provider, hardware manufacturer in the storage and HPC environment and a distributor.

At the Hannover Messe, we will be presenting networking in the system house area with a firewall solution from Clavister, diagnostic hardware from netAlly and switching and WLAN equipment from Ruckus. We will also be showing authentication solutions from Yubico (Yubi-Key).

Our cloud division presents a cloud alternative in Germany for collaboration in conjunction with a fully-fledged office package based on Nextcloud Enterprise. Together with Seagate, we are presenting our storage solution. But we're still just scratching the surface. We are quite well positioned with our consulting services.

Which sectors do your customers come from?

We concentrate on customers whose requirements come from the enterprise environment. We work across all sectors, as our focus in the infrastructure sector extends to the server and storage level. We cover everything below that, especially networks (active and passive).

Do you support customers from A to Z? Consulting, conception, realization of hardware, software, networking and commissioning?

No, we pick up the customer where he stands and try to use the customer's existing IT capacities to work on the topics where the customer is not or poorly positioned. Traditional IT departments often fail to make the leap because they simply want to scale up their concepts and, above all, preserve what they already have. At a certain point, however, this is no longer possible. This is where we come in.

Of course, they also offer subsequent support and service. To what extent?

And this is where we clearly stand out from the competition, as we tend to specialize in 3rd level issues in aftercare. 1st and 2nd level is usually covered by the IT departments themselves. We have little interest in getting involved in operations, as this ties up our capacities.

You offer platform-independent solutions. Can different platforms and systems always be networked without any problems?

Especially with cloud products, functions should not be tied to the operating system. Our products in the cloud environment require a browser - you can find one on pretty much every platform.

How important is IT security to you and what measures can you take to ensure it as far as possible?

Due to the perceived need to digitize everything, many companies have focused on function, with the result that security is often neglected. In 2024, we are still sometimes talking to customers about password security. In such cases, however, even more is going wrong. Many security problems are caused by homogenization and integration, i.e. as few manufacturers as possible who have a high level of integration with other products, i.e. the directory service comes from manufacturer M. and every other product is based on it. Look for the weak point. We isolate the layers from each other. OS, network and perimeter form their own security domains that have no dependencies.

However, we also have no problems with separating again within a domain if there is a suitable requirement.

What are the most important trends in the IT sector and how do you see the coming years for your industry?

Breaking free from the dependence on the three American providers in the cloud sector is the most important imperative for German SMEs. Now that on-premise is in fact no longer conceivable, the American providers are in the process of asserting their market power in the cloud and making IT operations more expensive year after year. Let's not talk about the question of where the data is located and what is done with it. The integration of AI and the models behind it should be an additional motivator to think in this direction. Unfortunately, the cloud is associated with just one provider here in Germany. A rethink is only slowly taking place here.

The next few years will certainly focus on this migration. The security issue is only overshadowing the whole discussion due to the many cyber attacks on SMEs and is currently a bottomless pit for decision-makers.

How often have you been to the Hannover Messe and where do you see its significance?

In the past, we have often sought contact with the IT-savvy public and have also been represented here at relevant trade fairs. Here in Hanover, for the first time, we are using a trade fair to find our way to the decision-makers in order to inspire both sides with our approach. Top-down instead of bottom-up.

Hanover Fair, Hall 16, Stand A12