On February 11 and 12, 2025, Domain Pulse 2025 took place in Dresden – the most important conference on the future of the domain industry in the German-speaking world. With over 300 participants, the who’s who of the domain industry gathered in Dresden.

Once again, it became clear that domains are far more than just addresses on the internet – they are the basis for digital identity, security and innovation. Especially in times of increasing cyber attacks and rapid technological progress, topics such as cyber resilience, artificial intelligence and the future of the domain industry are more relevant than ever. Two days full of top-class experts, exciting discussions and a strong focus on current challenges and opportunities awaited us. We have summarized the highlights for you in the following article.

Day 1: Security, disinformation and the responsibility of the industry

The first day started with an excellent keynote speech by Linus Neumann, IT security expert and member of the Chaos Computer Club. His presentation “How to blow an entire IT security budget without attackers noticing” impressively demonstrated how companies often invest huge sums in security systems – and still fail due to the simplest vulnerabilities. A clear appeal: trust less in marketing promises, but carry out real threat analyses and implement security measures in a strategically well thought-out manner.

Another highly topical issue was disinformation on the internet. Markus Beckedahl, founder of netzpolitik.org, explained the mechanisms behind the spread of fake news and how platform operators and regulatory authorities can respond. It became clear that the domain industry shares responsibility when it comes to combating targeted manipulation and the illegal use of domains.

Manuel ‘HonkHase’ Atug, who dealt with the threats to critical infrastructures, impressively demonstrated how vulnerable central systems such as energy supply, communication networks and public administrations are. Cyber attacks on such infrastructures are no longer just a theoretical risk, but a real threat. His conclusion was clear: we must become more resilient in dealing with such disasters in order to effectively avoid the greatest possible damage.

The afternoon focused on in-depth discussions about the future of internet governance. Elisa Busetto kicked things off with her presentation “WSIS+20 and New gTLD Program: Next Round”, she addressed the upcoming developments in the WSIS+20 process. She explained how the next round of the New gTLD Program will expand the DNS landscape with new top-level domains, in particular Internationalized Domain Names (IDNs). This will strengthen multilingualism and enable a stronger representation of local writing systems.

In her presentation “Disinformation in times of democratic erosion”, Jeanette Hofmann took a critical look at disinformation as a symptom of the loss of trust in liberal democracies. She argued for a change of perspective: instead of looking at social networks and algorithms as the main cause, the phenomenon should be analyzed in a broader political context.

With an entertaining yet profound approach, Jorge Cancio and Wolfgang Kleinwächter led the audience through the topic of internet governance: heavy fare, easily digestible. They vividly explained the importance of the multi-stakeholder principle and shed light on historical and current global political developments that influence the Internet governance model.

The session was concluded by Julia Pohle, Peter Koch, Irina Soeffky and Jeanette Hoffmann, who addressed the tension between multi-stakeholder governance and digital sovereignty.n They posed critical questions on the geopolitical dimension of digital policy and thus introduced the subsequent panel discussion. Under the title What does WSIS+20 mean for the future of internet governance, the representatives of the various stakeholder groups discussed the implications and challenges of the upcoming WSIS+20 review. A central point was the future of the Internet Governance Forum and the further development of the multi-stakeholder model in an increasingly fragmented digital world.

Day 2: Artificial intelligence and the future of the digital consumer

The second day of the conference began with an exciting presentation by Andreas Dengel on the topic of artificial intelligence: setting the pace for digital transformation. He explained how AI is taking on more and more cognitive tasks thanks to the availability of data and computing capacities. The presentation of specific use cases was particularly fascinating, including assistance systems for assembly and maintenance as well as AI systems that justify their decisions on a technical basis. Dengel made it clear why AI is one of the most important key technologies of our time – it not only expands our capabilities physically, but also intellectually.

Christian Stummeyer continued the program with his presentation The digital consumer of the future. He analyzed how AI is revolutionizing marketing and enabling companies to address customers in a more precise, automated and yet personalized way. In a world where customer needs are changing rapidly, companies must remain flexible in order to stay competitive. His conclusion: the future of digital marketing lies in data-driven, individualized customer experiences.

This was followed by the panel discussion “News from the registries” with high-caliber representatives from the industry, including Thomas Keller, Andreas Musielak, Richard Wein, Robert Schischka and Urs Eppenberger. The experts provided exciting insights into current developments and challenges in the domain industry.

Behind the scenes: Reunions, networking and lots of fun

Of course, Domain Pulse 2025 was not just a conference full of specialist presentations – it was also a wonderful opportunity to meet up with familiar faces, have exciting conversations and discuss new developments together.

The atmosphere was also great outside of the official program. There was plenty to laugh about over dinner and during the breaks, anecdotes were exchanged and new friendships were made. The mixture of professional exchange and relaxed atmosphere makes Domain Pulse a very special event for us every year. It’s like attending a huge class reunion 😉

Our conclusion: Where is the journey heading?

Domain Pulse 2025 has made it clear that the industry is undergoing profound change. The topics of security, disinformation, artificial intelligence and internet governance will dominate the coming years. For us at ResellerInterface, it was particularly exciting to see how these developments will affect our work and the needs of our customers.

💡 Our lessons learned: Don’t believe everything that an AI generates or that you see and read on the internet! Factual certainty and healthy skepticism are essential in this new era. Another important learning from the conference was the importance of cyber resilience. In the face of ever more sophisticated cyber attacks, it is becoming increasingly essential for companies not only to respond to security incidents, but also to create robust structures to remain resilient to digital threats. And the final learning: if you really want to be stress-free, you need ResellerInterface or a massage chair – or both.

We look forward to incorporating the findings of Domain Pulse 2025 into our work – and continuing to support you with innovative solutions!