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Austrian IT Firm Next Layer Sees Growth Driven by Demand for digital Sovereignty
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Vienna-based Next Layer, a provider of network, colocation, and cloud services, reported a 6% increase in sales to €26.5 million in 2024, fueled by rising demand for solutions that bolster digital sovereignty among European businesses.
Next Layer has been serving its customers for over two decades, establishing itself as a key player in the Austrian IT landscape. Founded in 2004 by a team of seasoned IT specialists, the company focuses on designing and operating customized infrastructure solutions for businesses.
“As an owner-managed, independent Austrian company, we have our own fiber optic infrastructure in Vienna, network nodes in the state capitals and neighboring countries, and also our own data center space at several locations,” explained CEO Georg Chytil. The company exclusively serves buisness customers,including prominent banks,insurance companies,government agencies,IT service providers,and system integrators.
Thorough Portfolio & Resource Efficiency
A cornerstone of Next Layer’s success is its broad product portfolio. According to Chytil, a key priority for their business clients is maximizing resource efficiency, a principle deeply embedded within the company’s culture. Next Layer adopts a solution-oriented approach, developing tailored measures to address the evolving needs of its customers in a dynamic regulatory and political climate.
Recent years have brought new requirements surrounding energy efficiency, data security, and digital sovereignty, driving demand for innovative solutions. The company is responding by expanding its offerings to include a local open source cloud solution, location-redundant and certified services, and dedicated network connections to hyperscalers.
Local Cloud Services Led Growth
While all three of Next Layer’s core business areas – network services, colocation, and cloud services – contributed to the company’s growth in the past year, local cloud services are currently experiencing the most meaningful expansion. This surge is attributed to a growing preference for digitally secure,locally-hosted solutions.
Currently employing 72 people at its Vienna Mariahilf location, Next Layer is focused on providing solutions that empower customers’ digital sovereignty. “Rather, it is vital to use the respective advantages of on-premise IT, colocation in data centers, local cloud services and hyperscalers in a hybrid cloud architecture and to support scalability and location flexibility,” Chytil stated.
Cybersecurity & European Independence
The increasing complexity of IT architectures, driven by a robust network of service providers, presents ongoing challenges in maintaining up-to-date technology and delivering reliable, affordable solutions. “Our network in the industry helps us here through cooperation with technology and solution partners, cooperation with industry associations, but also with authorities,” a senior official stated.
Collaboration is particularly crucial in the realm of cybersecurity, where fostering cooperation is essential to maintaining a competitive edge.”Europe’s digital independence is both a challenge and an opportunity for us,” Chytil emphasized.
Recognizing its reliance on electrical energy, Next layer prioritized supply and operational security even before the recent energy crisis. The company has utilized CO-neutral electricity for over twelve years, demonstrating a long
