Patrick is completing his master’s degree in Computer Science at the Graz University of Technology and has already gained experience in the domestic IT industry. Since mid-March 2021, he supports SIC members when it comes to pushing internationalization activity further and being present in the markets of the Alpe-Adria region, for example by initiating cross-border projects or go with business contacts.

### Exceed Limits – Benefit with regional know-how internationally ###
Whether analog, digital, domestic or international – communication inspires me. I am inquisitive, creative, empathetic and, as a computer science student, also a little nerdy As new assistant of international affairs, I want to support Carinthian’s IT landscape in creating closer exchange and networking with successful companies from abroad. This enables us to implement exciting collaborations and great projects together with new incentives and the exchange of knowledge. To conquer this challenging task, I take a lot of experience with me, especially in software development, web design and online marketing, as well as enthusiasm in the communicative area. I am looking forward to a great cooperation with the SIC, the KWF and the Carinthian Chamber of Commerce! – Patrick Struger, Assistent for international affairs 

We are also happy – a warm welcome to SIC!

Der Beitrag Assistent for international affairs in the SIC! erschien zuerst auf SIC (EN).

Home office and homeschooling – the demands on the performance of the Internet connection have never been as high. This is also reflected in the results of the current broadband survey in 2021 considering around 1000 local companies.

Employees working from home – more than ever before

At the beginning of the year, 59 percent of the companies surveyed deal with employees working from home – a top value in Carinthia! Spittal had the lowest value, with around 30 percent of employees working from home. The internet connection speed was not always sufficient enough. “Employees in Feldkirchen struggled most with the internet connection. Incredibly many of the companies are not at all or only slightly satisfied with the internet connection of their company”, says Martin Zandonella, chairman of the information and consulting division. This clearly shows the need for action.

A lack of efficient Internet in the Country

The reasons for the dissatisfaction are the same in every district: Either the lines are too slow or companies are annoyed by disruptions. “In the urban centers of Klagenfurt and Villach there is a very good infrastructure, but as soon as the focus shifts to the districts, a completely different picture emerges,” says Zandonella. In the districts, around 50 percent of the companies are dissatisfied with their internet connection. In Hermagor, the value is even around 57 percent. “In Hermagor, expansion of the fiber optic network is already being implemented to defuse the situation. A local company is building the Gailtal Blackbone, a high-performance fiber optic ring as the core network. This will make it possible in the future to supply local networks with a better bandwidth and make the Gail Valley fit for the future for the next few decades, ”says Zandonella.

Fiber optic expansion has become extremely important to companies

The number of implemented fiber optic expansion projects in rural areas increased in the past year, but the fiber optic expansion of the economy is progressing far too slowly. The majority think that there is too little efford when it comes to broadband expansion at the moment. The pandemic has made further expansion projects extremely important for companies – this was confirmed by 81 to 97 percent of those surveyed.

Companies are willing to pay more for a better internet connection. Almost 80 percent of the companies spend less than 100 euros per month on their connection. “This is justified by too less offers of higher quality yet. Nevertheless, it is quite astonishing that many companies hardly budget higher costs than private households for the basic infrastructure of digitization, ”says Zandonella. A rethink is currently taking place here, because no company can work without the appropriate bandwidth. This applies to large companies as well as small and medium-sized companies and one-person companies.

The applications range from e-mail to online banking and data exchange with authorities, video streaming and cloud services to site networking and information exchange. “In the past few months, many companies have seen that the current technology, especially the copper cables, can no longer meet current requirements,” says Zandonella. A well-developed fiber optic network is a prerequisite for a functioning 5G network. That is why Carinthia must quickly provide an appropriate infrastructure.

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The lockdown has shown one thing to many companies: they may have a website, but they are not able to successfully sell on the Internet. It could be challenging to get found in the global network these days without proper preparation. This is where our e-commerce experts come into play. As DigiGuides, they use their know-how to help companies be found more easily on search engines. After the great success in Klagenfurt, Villach City Marketing has now also entered into a cooperation with the Chamber of Commerce and the e-commerce experts.

Entrepreneurs from Villach can register at www.digiguides-villach.at, pick up a voucher worth 200 euros and optimize their perception on the Internet. The DigiGuides come directly to the companies, advise them and offer custom solutions for digital business success on Google or Google Maps. The guides are supporting with their know-how as web service providers from Villach. You create an entry on Google Maps for free and explain the options for further maintenance. And it’s completely free.

“It is very important to bring companies closer to digital tools – such as Google-My-Business – and to optimize their online presence. Functioning online conditions are indispensable for companies in times of pandemic”, so the initiators and project managers Daniel Kattnig and Marc Gfrerer about the successful project.

Foto© STADT VILLACH/KOMPAN v. l.: Wirtschaftskammer-Obmann Ing. Bernhard Plasounig, Marc Gfrerer (WK-Fachgruppe Ubit), Stadtmarketing-Chef Gerhard Angerer und Bürgermeister Günther Albel

Der Beitrag Digital throughout the Country: DigiGuides erschien zuerst auf SIC (EN).

In addition to Philipp Hungerländer from Hex, who won the Consulting State Prize for a project in which artificial intelligence helps in the planning of rail logistics, Carinthian SIC companies are also at the forefront of the renowned Constantinus Award!

The Constantinus Award is Austria’s largest consulting, accounting and IT prize in Austria and was awarded for a special TV program on PULS4 due to the pandemic. Member of the SIC were at the forefront.

The Constantinus Award winners 2020 from Carinthia:

• The winner of the “Digitization / Internet of Things” category – Hex GmbH
• 2nd place in the category “Digitization / Internet of Things” – trinitec IT Solutions & Consulting GmbH
• 3rd place in the “Digitization / Internet of Things” category was won by IoT40 Systems GmbH
• Third place in the “Management Consulting” category is occupied by Loop GmbH
• Fully Balanced achieved 3rd place in the category “Human Resources, Ethics and CSR”

Congratulations from the SIC!

All nominees and winners at a glance on the Wall of Fame at https://www.constantinus.net/de/wall-of-fame/

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With more than 113 million tons of goods transported per year and more than 1400 journeys per day, locomotive scheduling, i.e. the assignment of locomotives to trains, is extremely complex and time-consuming in Austria. But Philipp Hungerländer from Hex GmbH from Klagenfurt did not shrink back to tackle this challenge. Since 2018 his team has been developing software solutions for Rail Cargo Austria based on mathematical optimization models and algorithms. Locomotive runs in rail traffic can be carried out up to ten percent more resource-efficiently compared to partially automated planning, which brings not only ecological, but also economic and social advantages.

Carinthian know-how of the SIC – Convinced
Idle times and empty runs of locomotives are minimized. By digitizing and automating planning processes, on the one hand their quality can be increased, on the other hand the planning time can be reduced from several days to less than a minute. That convinced the jury at the State Consulting Award 2020: The top-class award was given to the Carinthian on a TV broadcast on Puls4 and one of the local “hidden champions” was brought to the curtain across Austria. “It is a great honor for our highly qualified team and an enormous motivation for the future,” said Hungerländer about the victory. Such awards are important for Carinthia as a location for innovation in terms of economic performance, the attractiveness of the location and talent acquisition.

Three out of Six – national award nominees, three of them are from the SIC!
The following Carinthian companies were nominated for the State Consulting Prize:

• IoT40 Systems GmbH with their project „Bee-O-Meter“ for Hutchison Drei Austria GmbH | ZTE Austria GmbH
• trinitec IT Solutions & Consulting GmbH with the project „FLEXIFF“ for flex Althofen
• Hex GmbH with „hex.ai“ for Rail Cargo Austria AG.

The State Consulting Prize is awarded every two years by the Federal Ministry for Digitization and Business Location. The three best placed in each category as well as all state winning projects of the Constantinus Award, Austria’s major consulting, accounting and IT prize, are invited to participate. The jury will nominate the six most outstanding projects, where one of them will be chosen as the winner.

“We are proud of our top companies from the SIC community – the awards are a visible sign of the quality of the domestic IT scene”, said SIC Chairman Marc Gfrerer happily.

Der Beitrag Hex GmbH wins the State Prize for Consulting! erschien zuerst auf SIC (EN).

In December 2020, the partnership between the Silicon Alps Cluster (SAC), the Austrian Electronics Based System Cluster and the Software Internet Cluster (SIC) was sealed. A contract was signed and first project ideas were exchanged.

Both networks are based in the south of Austria and will now work together on future visions and projects, especially in the area of digitization and the shortage of skilled workers, in order to give the region an additional boost. In addition, joint activities on topics such as the integration of start-ups, future trends and developments are planned in order to create an added value for the partner organizations of both networks.

Together, the Software Internet Cluster and the Silicon Alps Cluster form a network of approx. 200 organizations (approx. 55 SIC, approx. 135 SAC). These are mainly distributed all over Austria. An expansion of the network beyond the borders is to be pushed in the coming months and years. “All SIC members are now also involved in the activities of the Silicon Alps Cluster and can use offers of both worlds. This is a clear added value for our members,” says SIC CEO Marc Gfrerer, pleased about the cooperation.

The exchange of knowledge and experience between the partners as well as innovative and joint action points will therefore help to bundle forces, generate new ideas and make the existing technical and professional excellence more visible in order to advance innovative projects and the region.

silicon-alps.at

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Why the future lies in “Digital Sales” 
We are looking forward to hearing from you, if you would like to be part of the focus group.

Bernd Buchegger: Selling in the digital area is more than just the online shop. “Digital sales” considers the overall process and starts where online shop purposes ends or begins beforehand. Companies with B2B business models often cannot use online shops, but at the same time can benefit greatly from “Digital Sales”. Digitization offers a variety of strategies, tactics and tools to achieve the sales goals. From “Social Selling” to data-supported sales automation. A distinction is made between sales-supporting measures and sales-optimizing measures. Sales support aims to increase the number of strokes – how do I get more qualified customer contacts with a higher likelihood of closing. Optimizing sales means improving clout – how do I use sales resources efficiently and effectively. In English there is no such distinction between sales and distribution – one speaks generally of “digital sales”. The focus group deals with all these new digital possibilities and how they can be used successfully for our companies.

Why is the future in “digital sales”?

BB: This is primarily due to the changed purchasing behavior of customers. In our private environment, we have long since learned to apply and appreciate digitization. Such learning processes increasingly influence the perceptual attitudes in the business customer area. At the same time, digital communication channels and social networks offer us completely new opportunities to find and address our customers in a targeted manner. Paper and telephone are being replaced by e-mail, chat and video conferencing. Digitization has taught us that we are sitting on a treasure trove of data. We have to learn to deal with and use it. The “digital customer” demands digital sales!

Is classic sales being phased out?

BB: Not at all! The salesperson is also not an obsolete model – this is also confirmed by the experts from the industry. There will also be sales staff in the future when it comes to accompanying the customer through to the final purchase. After all, we still prefer to buy from people rather than machines. On the way to the purchase decision, we are increasingly finding digital points of contact. Companies have to learn to understand these and, ideally, to control them. The good news is that it will make sales work easier in the future. Automatically recognizing customers who are ready to buy and being able to take better care of them leads to more success and thus more joy in selling.

What are your goals with this group?

BB: Driving forward the digitization of sales in Carinthian companies and making them fit for the future. This includes sharpening the understanding of digital sales and its possible uses and making the experts on it visible.

What activities or events are planned in the future?

BB: The group is still very fresh – it is now necessary to build up the structure well despite the restrictions and then start coordinated with specific activities. As a first step, the focus group will network the experts in Carinthia on this topic and demonstrate the existing competencies. The networking is then to be expanded beyond the borders to form thematic associations. “Digital sales” is often equated with eCommerce, and these topics complement each other. We are therefore in close coordination with Daniel Kattnig, the spokesman for the eCommerce focus group, regarding joint activities and events. For example, we have already participated in the digiGuides 2020 funding campaign by Stadtmarketings Klagenfurt as a consultant for Klagenfurt companies. This area of specific advisory funding was very well received and is to be expanded further in the future.

What qualifications do I need to have if I want to join the group?

BB: Ideally, you are already working as a consultant in “Digital Sales”. Are you a marketing or sales professional and have a high affinity and enthusiasm for digital topics? Perhaps you are already an expert on a special topic and a user with profound practical experience? The best thing to do is to contact me and we will find out what we can do together.

Your three most important tips for “Digital Sales”.

BB: Get to know the digital customer journey. How? Go out and ask your customers! Understand which problem you are solving. This is the language your customers really understand. Avoid activism, approach it with a strategy – your digital consultant will guide you to success in a targeted manner!

Contact:
DI Bernd Buchegger
Phone: 0650 5353232
Email: bernd.buchegger@trinitec.at

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From Home Office to Darknet
Christian Baumgartner explains the dangers that have found their way into the “private offices”. Andreas Dengg from the Federal Criminal Police Office takes you on a journey to the Darknet and Peter Schmerlaib gives an overview of the data traffic in the home office and explains why this data is not protected enough. Data expert Rudolf Urban knows how to properly handle online meetings. He explains which framework conditions are important and which obligations arise for those involved.

Cyber Security Night 2020 Program

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A total crash of the business idea. House, farm, company – all gone. A nightmare for every entrepreneur. But not necessarily the end. “Failure is part of success,” says Dejan Stojanovic, founder of Fuckup Nights in Austria. For years he has campaigned for the taboo to be removed from the error culture and brought the global format of the Fuckup Nights to the Alpine region as well. In cooperation with the WK specialist group UBIT and the Software Internet Cluster, the Fuckup Night took place in Carinthia for the third time. This time, however, at short notice as a live stream.

Learn from Mistakes

Economy and society benefit from a positively exemplified error culture. “Whoever gets up once wins the game – not only in sports”, emphasizes WK President Jürgen Mandl. Most projects are not immediately successful. Sometimes it takes several attempts before a business idea comes up.

„Giving in is not an option“, says Marc Gfrerer, chairman of the SIC. Those who share experiences with one another can learn a lot from each other. “This year is no day like the other, which makes mutual support and the transfer of knowledge all the more important”, says SIC startup spokeswoman Anja Silberbauer. That is why the Fuckup Nights are not about celebrating mistakes, but much more about learning from the entrepreneurial hopscotch. Talking about it takes courage. The two entrepreneurs Herbert Wagger and Horst Exenberger proved this. Both have been in business for decades and have learned from their experiences.

Roll up your Sleeves and Restart

“Trust is good, control is better. Therefore, don’t neglect controlling from the start”, advises Herbert Wagger to founders and start-ups. Correct timing is just as important as the choice of partners. “Today I prefer to pay a little more here for good local people than to outsource to low-wage countries”, says Wagger. He has also become cautious with personal liability. After the initial turbulence, everything turned out well. Today he is successful with his company and also works in Silicon Valley. “Sometimes you need a little longer in Austria to get on the market.”

Choosing a Partner without Pressure

For Horst Exenberger, there is a wrong decision behind every so-called fuckup. But you shouldn’t focus too much on the negative things personally. Every bad day also has many small positive things. “As an entrepreneur, I have to leave the comfort zone every day”, says Exenberger. Clear communication, a good flow of information, the selection of partners and controlling, not in the sense of control, but as management of the company, are important. Those who also manage their operations can make decisions earlier and change direction. Hence his tip: find a partner BEFORE you are under pressure.

HINT! You can find the online stream at https://youtu.be/sqpHZoUrEMI .

Program of FuckUp Night 2020 (PDF)

Click here for the picture gallery

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