We anchor sustainability in our processes

We want our success to be fair. We are committed to free competition and comply with all applicable laws. We do not participate in price fixing or coordinate our market behaviour with competitors. We absolutely reject unfair methods that could give us a supposed competitive advantage (e.g. business espionage, dissemination of false information). We cooperate closely with the authorities.

We want our portfolio to contribute to sustainable economic development. We therefore deal very closely with the digital challenges facing our target markets and sectors, always with an eye on current challenges confronting the environment and society as a whole, such as climate change and cybercrime. This way, we create solutions that, when used, promote sustainability at our customers.

Our Central Procurement Policy requires us to treat natural resources with care. We procure the electricity for our data centres exclusively from regenerative energy sources and purchase hardware that meets the latest energy efficiency standards. We pool purchases and chiefly rely on German suppliers to shorten transport routes and reduce packaging. Adherence to national laws provides additional assurance of compliance with social standards.

All components procured outside Europe are certified under the REACH Regulation, the RoHS Directive and the POPs Regulation. Our Asian suppliers already commit to meeting minimum social standards before the business relationship takes effect. No certifications are yet available in this respect. Compliance with ecological and social standards is checked in sample audits performed on site at our Asian suppliers.

In operating our data centres, we enhance energy efficiency by using the latest technology and reduce water consumption by working with closed-circuit cooling systems. Virtual infrastructures and applications ensure higher utilisation rates in physical systems and also save resources. Furthermore, we have a modern company car pool and avoid mobility by deploying digital technologies. We are also continually optimising the supply of energy to our buildings.

Using our products and services makes it easier for customers to precisely manage their resource consumption or, by fully digitalising their value chains, to avoid consumption entirely. Cloud-based workplaces and collaboration tools enable customers to shorten work-related journeys, reduce the number of business trips and cut their CO2 emissions. We naturally make sure our own IT systems and those at our customers meet the latest energy efficiency standards.

Used devices are reprocessed in a certified process and marketed by third parties. This takes place, for example, in cooperation with the AfB Group (which employs people with disabilities). Thanks to our partnership with AfB, we are making a valuable contribution towards protecting resources and promoting the inclusion of people with disabilities. The outstanding commitment shown by the AfB Group was acknowledged with the German Sustainability Prize in December 2020.