The majority acquisition of ICT by Econocom shool the German market last year. In his Year in Review, Erik Wolff, COO of ICT, explains why the AV market will fragment in the coming years, what role managed services and total cost of ownership will play in this, and how ICT intends to actively shape consolidation with Econocom as its new strategic partner.
Year in Review 2025/2026: Erik Wolff | ICT (Econocom)
The change of our lead shareholder was a dominant topic for everyone – shareholders, the board of directors, and all of our teams. Nevertheless, day-to-day business in the market plays the decisive role in our approach.
For years, we have been experiencing an erosion of margins, which we have countered through project development and, for a good two years now, by turning our attention to large-volume projects. The recession-related decline in orders is forcing some suppliers to offer even more aggressive deals. We are experiencing an unhealthy escalation of price competition.
Managed services is key
One ray of hope is the beginning of a shift among customers toward managed services and integrated financing solutions. For too long, the focus has been on Capex optimization. There is a growing realization that Opex is rising more sharply and can only be reduced by considering the total cost of ownership.
Almost wo years ago, our shareholder BWK signaled an upcoming portfolio restructuring. For us, this was another reason to think about the market and its development. BWK had provided us with perfect support during the transition from the founding generation. It was clear to us that we wanted a strategic partner as a majority shareholder.
In our view, the market will fragment over the next 5 to10 years. Smaller local integrators will remain, always able to make a living thanks to low overheads and close proximity to their customers. On the other hand, larger international providers will emerge, able to finance asset-heavy projects thanks to their financial strength. The other differentiator, not to name it unique selling proposition, is their strong service capability across territories.
ICT and Econocom: It’s a match
We found Econocom, and Econocom found us. Together, we have a presence in the most important EU countries with AV subsidiaries. Over 800 employees and well-matched skills combine to form a powerful portfolio. We consider it a perfect match that, in addition to the 8,000 IT employees, we are also gaining financing expertise in 16 countries. The strongest driver behind our decision is the attentive communication and leadership within the group.
In addition to integrating into the Econocom Group, in 2026 we will be working primarily on a partner program called AVA. The goal is to build a larger network of local partners, whom we will support with financial power and logistics—and together become an even stronger player in the market.
