Magazine
MAGAZIN
Cost-free solutions on a billion-dollar market
#smart office

Cost-free solutions on a billion-dollar market

Big tech can actually be avoided. The small Swiss company Infomaniak is taking on digital office tech giants like Zoom and Microsoft. Without any charges or advertising, it is offering videoconferencing that can also be used by inexperienced users.

Switzerland is most likely to be associated with chocolate, watches, Roger Federer, bank secrecy and neutrality. Go on, admit it: we listed them in the right order, didn’t we? Still, it is precisely this neutrality and independence that are now benefiting Swiss cloud supplier Infomaniak and its independent videoconferencing solution, kMeet. The alternative to Microsoft Teams, Zoom and Skype has been launched on a bitterly contested market.

300 million users

The range of videoconferencing tools on offer has become quite varied. And it has grown difficult to recognize and differentiate between their potential benefits and drawbacks. Nevertheless, over the past 18 months a mainstream favourite has emerged: Zoom has become the most popular platform for virtual meetings in 44 countries, including the US and Canada, Australia, the UK, Scandinavia and German-speaking countries. In April 2020, which was the peak of the first lockdown wave, Zoom announced that it had an impressive total of 300 million videoconferencing users every day. Before Covid-19 arrived, it only had ten million users – per month.

Infomaniak, developer of kMeet
Infomaniak is the only notable supplier with servers in politically neutral Switzerland.

But does it really always have to be Zoom? Admittedly, if you are invited to join a videoconference, you don’t have a choice. But if you are organizing an online meeting from your own office, it’s worth comparing the individual systems. You’ll notice that kMeet offers some useful tools.

Infomaniak headquartered in Europe

And it has some basic prerequisites. One of these involves current security concerns: Infomaniak is the only notable supplier with servers in Europe instead of the US (like Google and Zoom) or spread across the world (like Skype and Microsoft Teams). Actually, to be absolutely precise, Infomaniak’s servers are at home in politically neutral Switzerland.

kMeeet
kMeet has no limit to the number of users.

In addition, the Swiss platform is basically free of charge despite its lack of advertising. There are no paid extras, either. And unlike its competitors, there is no limit to the number of users. Zoom, Teams, Google Meet and Cisco’s Webex are restricted to 100 people per discussion, and only 50 are allowed on Skype. What’s more, there is no limit to the time allowed for kMeet videoconferences – although that could also be seen as a disadvantage …

Interesting features for companies

Features that make kMeet attractive in a business setting include the possibility of branding each meeting and individually adapting the platform to add your own logo. It also allows the moderator to switch off the cameras of all participants. Incidentally, the video broadcast itself is in high definition.

kMeet by Infomaniak
kMeet was launched in April 2020 and has undergone continual development ever since. There have already been more than 200 updates.

Where required, other participants can also be appointed as moderator during meetings. Moderator rights include recording the meeting (although this has the minor disadvantage that recording is only possible in the in-house – and fee-based – kDrive cloud). Another helpful tool is the timer that displays the speaking duration of each participant.

200 updates for intuitive operation

kMeet was launched in April 2020 and has undergone continual development ever since. The latest of more than 200 updates includes optional annotating on a shared screen and allowing remote access from a different computer.

Even the least experienced users can easily plan meetings.

Infomaniak

Overall, the Swiss company pursues a design that is as user-friendly as possible so that – according to the company – everyone, even the least experienced users, can easily plan or join meetings. Inituitive features include a calendar on the homepage that shows all your scheduled meetings.

From customer support right to the top

kMeet is due to remain cost- and registration-free in the future as well. “Our business model doesn’t include advertising and we don’t share our users’ data with third parties. Our free services such as SwissTransfer.com and ik.me are financed by our paid products and contribute to promoting the brand,” explains Infomaniak CEO Mark Oehler. The fee-based products by Infomaniak include a streaming service that is already used by more than 160 radio stations.

Infomaniak
Boris Siegenthaler (l.) and Mark Oehler from Infomaniak.

Mark Oehler was promoted within the company from COO to CEO just recently, at the beginning of 2021. His predecessor – and Infomaniak co-founder Boris Siegenthaler – was strategic director and therefore primarily focused on the long-term orientation of the hosting supplier. Founded in 1994, the company has offices in Geneva and Winterthur.

kMeet takes on Google and its compatriots

In his first press statement, the new CEO – who began his career at the company 17 years ago as a customer support officer – took aim at Google, Amazon, Facebook, Apple and Microsoft, known collectively by the acronym GAFA or also GAFAM: “My goal is for Infomaniak to become a real ethical alternative to GAFA. My main priority is to ensure that our products continue to evolve regularly and that employees feel good at work.”

Infomaniak, headquarters
Infomaniak’s headquarters in Switzerland.

By international comparison, Infomaniak – which defines itself as a developer of innovative and intuitive web solutions – is still just a tiny little praline: in 2020 the company celebrated a record turnover of 26 million Swiss francs (24.2 million euros), and therefore an increase of 24 percent year-on-year. kMeet is currently used for around half a million meetings per month.

Videoconferencing as a billion-dollar market

This makes challenging the international tech giants all the more worthwhile. After all, videoconferencing suppliers are predicted to have a rosy future ahead of them: increasing globalization and the rising demand for the internet as a whole are set to more than double the industry value from around 4.49 billion euros in 2019 to 9.21 billion euros in 2027.

Come to think of it, that kind of money would buy you a huge amount of Swiss chocolate – which you could snack on secretly during those never-ending videoconferences …

Text: Hannes Kropik
Translation: Rosemary Bridger-Lippe
Images: Infomaniak

Other articles
that might interest you

A whole town built of wood
#city planning
A whole town built of wood

Wendelstrand near Gothenburg is a new community and housing development with social and ecological sustainability, sited in a disused quarry. The master plan and Lakehouse by the architects at Snøhetta show how urban planning and housing construction can be reimagined.

Award-winning engineered timber design
#smart office
Award-winning engineered timber design

Completed in Gothenburg and made of wood, Nodi was named business building of the year 2021. It is another prestigious timber construction in the portfolio of White Arkitekter, the architects responsible for timber high-rise Sara Kulturhus in Skellefteå.

In the depths of the forest
#smart office
In the depths of the forest

Dense, green forests are often synonymous with calm, nature and unspoiled landscapes – but they also need care and attention. Such forestry operations can inspire interesting architecture, as shown by the Forest Administration Lodge in Czechia.

Better, greener, cleaner
#greenbuilding
Better, greener, cleaner

The teams at Berlin Waste Management are out and about day in day out, keeping Germany’s capital city looking good and ensuring resources remain in the cycle. Their new headquarters in Südkreuz have the same aspirations and are a prime example of sustainable ideas.

Race to the top goes Down Under
#greenbuilding
Race to the top goes Down Under

The new contender in the pursuit of the world’s tallest timber high-rise is called C6. Due for construction in South Perth, Australia, it will soar to a height of 189 metres. Residents will have access to a fleet of 80 Teslas as a special green benefit.

Digital and climate neutral
#greenbuilding
Digital and climate neutral

Their pioneering timber high-rise gained international recognition for the architects at White Arkitekter. Researcher and architect Jonas Runberger explains why computational design processes are so important for reaching climate goals.

Timber engineering with industrial chic
#smart office
Timber engineering with industrial chic

Its facade is made from recycled aluminium, and the load-bearing structure follows a hybrid timber design. Named i8, this office building in Munich’s Werksviertel is committed to decarbonization and forms a link with the neighbourhood’s industrial past.

A little help from Mother Nature
#smart office
A little help from Mother Nature

Bangkok-based Plan Associates is one of Thailand’s elite architectural firms. In the north of the kingdom, they have created a new office building that harnesses the forces of nature.

More than just a workplace for IBM
#smart office
More than just a workplace for IBM

Powerhouse Company has designed the new Amsterdam headquarters of IT giant IBM, delivering on the company’s vision for the working world of tomorrow: a sustainable building that is not so much a traditional office as a pleasant and healthy meeting place for sharing ideas.

Just like a holiday
#smart office
Just like a holiday

In the Brazilian city of Manaus, Laurent Troost Architectures has created an office as a statement that harmonizes nature with urban life. It also demonstrates that a working environment is perfectly able to recreate a holiday feeling.

Zurich Airport opts for timber
#greenbuilding
Zurich Airport opts for timber

Sustainability is reaching new heights for the new design of Dock A at Zurich Airport. In the design competition organized by Flughafen Zurich AG, the jury selected “Raumfachwerk”, a project submitted by BIG, HOK and 10:8 Architekten consisting primarily of timber.

Cool ideas for big issues of the future
#smart office
Cool ideas for big issues of the future

Japanese technology giant Konica Minolta is treating its new research centre not only to a modern design, but also to architecture offering clever alternatives in the fight against climate change.

A breath of fresh air in Rotterdam
#smart office
A breath of fresh air in Rotterdam

Europe’s largest port is seeing an innovation boom that is expected to drive the entire Dutch energy transition. As part of the post-pandemic recovery, the iconic World Port Center has been sustainably renovated.

In the green heart of a chocolate giant
#smart office
In the green heart of a chocolate giant

The Barry Callebaut Group is the world’s leading manufacturer of high-end chocolate and cocoa products. At the new headquarters in Zurich, diversity of flavours and sustainability are as integral as well-being in the workplace and upcycling of materials.

Google architecture yields top results
#smart office
Google architecture yields top results

Technology meets architecture: in Silicon Valley, internet giant Google has constructed a building complex based on its very own vision for the first time. With its sustainable design, the Bay View Campus is geared towards the future of work.

Timber showcase for Volvo
#greenbuilding
Timber showcase for Volvo

A special kind of discovery world is taking shape in Gothenburg, where Swedish vehicle manufacturer Volvo is using timber construction and nature to create its World of Volvo. The components and engineering for Henning Larsen’s design are being provided by Austrian firm Wiehag.

How to upcycle a high-rise
#greenbuilding
How to upcycle a high-rise

Danish architects 3XN are operating a separate division called GXN that develops green innovations. In this interview, Kim Herforth Nielsen and Kåre Poulsgaard talk about behavioural design, carbon as a market driver, and their radical high-rise project in Sydney.

Inclusive office as a smart village
#smart office
Inclusive office as a smart village

Non-profit association Aktion Mensch has an emphatic motto – “Together we will win”. Inclusion is especially important to this private charity, which runs a lottery to support social projects. Its focus is also reflected in the organization’s new head office in Bonn, Germany. The design concept by the Ippolito Fleitz Group takes diversity as a central theme. And it also turns interior design into a strong framework for displaying the humane side to life.

From heating plant to co-working centre
#smart office
From heating plant to co-working centre

Studio Perspektiv has transformed a historic industrial landmark into a modern office building. Bratislava’s former heating plant, designed in functionalist style by architect Dušan Jurkovič, now serves as a spacious Base4Work co-working centre.

Green oasis in concrete tower
#smart office
Green oasis in concrete tower

In the Vietnamese metropolis Ho Chi Minh City, an increasing number of new office towers are shooting skyward. Local architectural office MIA Design Studio makes sure that nature isn’t forgotten in the process. Even if it has to flourish inside busy interiors.

High-tech timber for Norwegian banking
#smart office
High-tech timber for Norwegian banking

Timber construction can be decidedly high-tech, as illustrated by the head office built for SR Bank in Stavanger, Norway. Bjergsted Financial Park offers workplaces that are fit for the future, and it is among Europe’s largest engineered timber buildings.

Pairing wood and stone in a Danish design
#smart office
Pairing wood and stone in a Danish design

Sejet Plant Breeding in Denmark develops modern grain varieties. The company cultivates plants using state-of-the-art, sustainable technology, and has adopted the same approach for its new entrance building, designed by GinnerupArkitekter.

In the service of biological diversity
In the service of biological diversity

Good news for local fauna: The dedication of not-for-profit organization CABI to combatting climate change through innovative agricultural solutions is reflected in the architecture of its new headquarters in England.

“Smart means something is communicating with me”
#smart office
“Smart means something is communicating with me”

Alan Hofmann is a building engineer and timber constructor from Austria. His company Woodplan occupies a digital niche for building projects around the world. In this interview he describes his interpretation of intelligent offices, and how an office can be smart in an old Austrian building.

In full control
#smart office
In full control

In everyday office life, automation is especially key to success. Lighting, sound, shading, heating, cooling, ventilation and access systems can be operated centrally with intelligent controls by Loxone.

New Work from New York
#smart office
New Work from New York

The new co-working space Hammerbrooklyn in Hamburg is designed to be a place of inspiration and creativity. Besides its passion and dedication, this curated community thrives on a desire for innovation and thirst for the future.

A ship drops anchor
#smart office
A ship drops anchor

Cologne is home to one of Germany’s most digitalized office buildings, known as The Ship. Inspired by its success as a model of contemporary working, a second project is being added just next door: the Vorum.

A Cobot Hub for humans and robots
#smart office
A Cobot Hub for humans and robots

Heralding a bright future in an innovative, exciting location, this robotics centre in Denmark designed by 3XN is expected to become the perfect place to work. It is a Cobot Hub for the employees at two companies. And also for the robots developed there.

Sealed by the sultan
#smart office
Sealed by the sultan

In Istanbul the two spectacular towers for Ziraat Bank have grown high into the sky. While their shape is oriented on traditional calligraphy, the interior displays state-of-the-art technical features.

A little bird told you …
#smart office
A little bird told you …

Inspired by traditional survival strategies of experienced miners, the architects at 3XN/GXN have “bred” a stylish canary that takes care of our health in the workplace.

A wanderer with a high-tech trailer
#smart office
A wanderer with a high-tech trailer

As he was constantly on the move, technology entrepreneur Jeff Kleck was looking for a clever solution for a live-work space. His brilliant idea? To convert an old Airstream into what is probably the world’s best mobile smart office, which he calls “Kugelschiff”.

How smart lifts think for us
#smart office
How smart lifts think for us

Automated machine communication is enabling new applications. In predictive maintenance, smart lifts indicate whether they are working or need attention.

The building that thinks
#smart office
The building that thinks

You’ve seen smart homes, now it’s time for smart buildings. Cube Berlin, an office complex that controls itself via artificial intelligence, opened in early 2020.

“This is just the tip of the iceberg!”
#smart office
“This is just the tip of the iceberg!”

Andreas Thamm is a “smart office” expert. As Chairman of the Management Board at UBM Development Germany, he is steering the company towards an intelligent future. It is an issue that is particularly relevant in times of COVID-19.

The digital world of tomorrow
#smart office
The digital world of tomorrow

In China, Zaha Hadid Architects are building two 400-metre giant structures that make sensational use of digital possibilities. With its smart solutions, Tower C is efficient and, above all, environmentally friendly.

Office tower as city highlight
#smart office
Office tower as city highlight

Architecture studio Foster + Partners have designed an extraordinary office tower for the heart of Buenos Aires. As a sustainable and flexible building, Avenida Cordoba 120 is set to provide more than just an optimum working environment. Its public space is intended to enhance the entire district.

The flexible icon
#smart office
The flexible icon

The office complex ICÔNE has been created by the architects at Foster + Partners as an elegant answer to current working trends. This new flex office building is currently under construction in Luxembourg’s Belval Quarter, where urban renewal is set to create the city’s new “best address”.

Beneath the dragon’s skin
#city planning #smart office
Beneath the dragon’s skin

The new showpiece unveiled by Swatch is not a watch, but office architecture at its finest. To create the reptilian curves of the new Swatch headquarters in Biel, star architect Shigeru Ban has built one of the world’s largest timber-framed constructions.

Google (re)invents itself
#smart office
Google (re)invents itself

Internet giant Google wants to do more than provide the right answers every time on the digital front. With the construction of the new headquarters in Silicon Valley, it wants to supply the solution to every workplace problem. Specifically, it aims to revolutionize working environments completely!

Axel Springer: new headquarters as a statement
#smart office
Axel Springer: new headquarters as a statement

Berlin has a new landmark: the new Axel Springer building. The avant-garde complex isn’t just an urban statement, it also stands for the future of working in the digital world.