SWITZERLAND EXPORTS SIX TIMES MORE IT SERVICES THAN CHEESE AND CHOCOLATE COMBINED - Technology news and analysis from Global Banking & Finance Review
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SWITZERLAND EXPORTS SIX TIMES MORE IT SERVICES THAN CHEESE AND CHOCOLATE COMBINED

Published by Gbaf News

Posted on April 11, 2014

2 min read
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Swiss IT Exports Surpass Iconic Products

Switzerland, traditionally seen as the home of luxurious consumer goods, is fast becoming an international powerhouse in IT products and services, exporting more IT technology than chocolate and cheese, according to a new survey.

With export volumes of Swiss IT products and services reaching nearly nine billion Swiss Francs (8,814 billion CHF) in 2011, the IT industry now exports six times more than popular Swiss exports cheese and chocolate (1,335 billion CHF).

Artmotion Datacentre

Artmotion Datacentre

IT Ranked Among Top Swiss Exports

The report, from ICTswitzerland, lists IT among the top ten main export groups, according to foreign trade statistics from the Swiss Customs Administration.

Global Demand for Swiss IT Services Rising

IT services such as data storage in Switzerland are becoming increasingly popular, as global companies are choosing to take advantage of the country’s strict privacy laws. The rising popularity of Swiss IT services can be attributed to the increasing mistrust of US data storage companies following recent NSA and GCHQ revelations.

Mateo Meier, director of Swiss data storage company, Artmotion, comments: “Switzerland has previously been associated with luxury food and jewellery exports, but now we are receiving international recognition for IT services as well. The country has traditionally acted as a hub for multinational corporations’ financial needs, and we’re using the same experience and expertise to become a big player in the IT industry.

Surge in Demand for Secure Data Storage

“Within the IT industry, private data storage using dedicated servers has become highly sought after. No longer happy with cloud computing and US data storage companies, firms are turning to so-called ‘Silicon Switzerland’ to entrust important data and business secrets. In light of the NSA scandal, we’ve seen more interest from companies across the oil and gas, financial and retail sectors.”

Artmotion: A Leader in Swiss IT Hosting

Artmotion operates out of Switzerland and is one of the country’s biggest offshore hosting companies. Equipped with the latest technology and dedicated, managed and cloud security hosting options, Artmotion ensures maximum privacy.

For more information, please visit http://www.artmotion.eu/

Key Takeaways

  • In 2011 Switzerland’s IT sector exported approximately CHF 8.814 billion, six times more than cheese and chocolate combined (CHF 1.335 billion).
  • ICT accounted for around 17% of Swiss export revenue and ranked as the 10th largest export category in 2011. 
  • Strict Swiss privacy laws and neutrality have boosted demand for IT services like private data storage, especially post‑NSA revelations.
  • Artmotion, based in Switzerland, operates secure data centers and benefits from heightened interest in offshore hosting among multinational firms.

References

Frequently Asked Questions

Why did IT exports surpass cheese and chocolate?
Because in 2011 Swiss IT products and services reached CHF 8.814 billion in exports—roughly six times more than cheese and chocolate combined, which were CHF 1.335 billion. This reflects the growing global demand for secure IT services and Switzerland’s strong export performance in ICT ([msp-channel.com](https://msp-channel.com/news/32458/switzerland-exports-six-times-more-it-services-than-cheese-and-chocolate-combined?utm_source=openai)).
What drove demand for Swiss IT services?
Demand was driven by Switzerland’s strict data privacy laws, political neutrality, and increased mistrust of US‑based data storage firms following NSA and GCHQ revelations ([msp-channel.com](https://msp-channel.com/news/32458/switzerland-exports-six-times-more-it-services-than-cheese-and-chocolate-combined?utm_source=openai)).
Who is Artmotion and what role do they play?
Artmotion is a Swiss data‑housing and secure hosting provider operating out of Switzerland, offering encrypted hosting services and benefiting from increased interest in privacy‑focused offshore hosting solutions ([msp-channel.com](https://msp-channel.com/news/32458/switzerland-exports-six-times-more-it-services-than-cheese-and-chocolate-combined?utm_source=openai)).

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