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Infomaniak Network
Company typeSA
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
Geneva
,
Switzerland
Servicesweb hosting, VOD, streaming
Revenue
  • Increase CHF 26M (2020)
  • CHF 21M (2019)
Number of employees
200
SubsidiariesInfomaniak Entertainment
Websiteinfomaniak.com

Infomaniak 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] A few months later, Infomaniak obtains its ISO 14001 and ISO 50001 certifications for environmental and energy management systems.[citation needed]

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

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

References

  1. ^ Seydtaghia, Anouch (11 February 2016). "Infomaniak accélère sa diversification". Le Temps. Retrieved 26 October 2016.
  2. ^ Willemin, Alexandre (10 June 2013). "Chefs d'entreprise: entre travail et sommeil, un équilibre difficile à trouver". MM. Retrieved 26 October 2016.
  3. ^ Praz, Nathalie (March 2014). "Dans l'antre romand des geeks". Focus PME. Retrieved 26 October 2016.
  4. ^ a b 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. Retrieved 26 October 2016.
  7. ^ "Infomaniak Network". Remix Jobs. 2015. Archived from the original on 10 September 2016. Retrieved 26 October 2016.
  8. ^ a b 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.
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