At the IFA in Berlin we met the Fritz management, a brand known for the routers and network solutions that now enters a new phase with a rebranding (from AVM to Fritz!). Italy, the first European market for the company, is at the center of the strategy together with an expansion that also looks at the Smart Home and safety.
Let’s talk about products: what are the main news?
“One of the most interesting solutions is the Fritz! Box 6825, a 4G compact router that also works with USB power supply, so you can take it anywhere and can also be connected to a power bank. It gives access to all the functions of a traditional Fritz! Box, but on the move. Then there are the new Wi-Fi 7 devices, with router, Range Extender to spread connectivity in the largest houses, and also the USB key, Fritz! Wlan Stick 6700, designed for PCs that do not yet support the new standard “.
On the fiber front, what is the situation?
“In Germany and in other European countries the connection is already free: if the router breaks, just buy a new one and connect it. In Italy unfortunately it is not like that: the fiber is not fully liberalized and the user cannot always choose his device. We already have an agreement with Fastweb for the Fritz! Box 5690 Pro, compatible with the fiber and therefore purchasable as a substitute, and we hope that Agcom follows the example of Germany, Belgium.
The issue of security is increasingly central. How do you move on this front?
“All our devices are designed in Germany and produced in Europe. This means that the data does not leave the continent. It is a choice that differentiates us from other global competitors and that becomes crucial also in a geopolitical key: We think of Chinese infrastructures, for example, that in an extreme scenario they could be controlled remotely. We want to give certainty to European users, especially on something critical and fundamental such as internet connectivity, both for individuals and for companies “.
Fritz is known for the routers, but you are also moving on the Smart Home
“It is true, in Italy the Smart Home is still a theme of enthusiasts, while in Germany most users already have a Fritz! Box and therefore easily integrates our devices. Today we have thermostats for radiators, window sensors, the bulb, the sockets and above all the Fritz! Dec 250 Smart Energy, an optical sensor that reads electrical consumption from the counter. We are working for a greater compatibility with Zigbee and Matter. Some products, such as the optical reader, today only work with German counters, but there are already tests in Austria and the goal is also to bring them to Italy “.
Everyone speaks of artificial intelligence: how do you see it?
“In our devices there are already” intelligent “functions, such as automatic scenarios for lights and consumption. But we have no integrated vowel or chatbots. Our priority is security: the IA often means sharing data. We want to implement it only When it will be guaranteed that the data remain where they have to be.
In the short time, the IA could support customer care with safe tools, for example on the Fritz.com website, but we will continue to maintain an efficient human service. The approach is cautious but decisive: the IA is the future, but the customer comes first and must be protected “.