Founded in 1998 and based in Montabaur, Germany, the operating business of United Internet AG is divided into the two business divisions “Access” and “Applications”, which in turn are divided into the segments “Consumer Access” and “Business Access”, as well as “Consumer Applications” and “Business Applications”.

United Internet provides consumers and business clients with fixed-line and mobile internet access products, as well as various cloud applications which operate at our 20 data centers, 55 co-locations, and more than 400 micro data centers. The use of these services is based on subscription contracts with fixed monthly fees as well as variable, volume-based charges.

Target group-specific marketing via well-known brands

Our access products targeting specific customer groups are marketed in the Consumer Access segment via our premium brand 1&1 and discount brands, such as yourfone and smartmobil.de. Business Access products are offered by 1&1 Versatel.

Our Consumer Applications are marketed via the differently positioned brands GMX, mail.com and WEB.DE. And Business Applications via IONOS as well as STRATO, Arsys, Fasthosts, home.pl, InterNetX, united-domains and World4You. In addition, the Sedo brand offers customers around the world professional services in the field of active domain management, while we22 offers other hosting suppliers a white-label website builder for the creation of high-quality websites.

International Footprint

Whereas we operate exclusively in Germany in the Access division, we are also a leading global player in the Business Applications segment.

We target the major European economies of Germany, France, the UK, Italy, the Netherlands, Austria, Poland, Switzerland, and Spain, as well as the North American countries Canada, Mexico, and the USA.

From Marketing Partner to leading european Internet Specialist

Since its foundation in 1988 as marketing partner, United Internet AG has developed over the past 36 years into a leading European internet specialist and stands for outstanding operational excellence with around 28 million fee-based customer accounts and more than 40 million ad-financed free accounts around the world.

Our history from 1988 to 2023

2023

1&1 MOBILE NETWORK

1&1 sets course for nationwide 5G: Conclusion of binding heads of terms for a long-term exclusive national roaming partnership with Vodafone

IONOS

Successful IPO of IONOS on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange at a placement volume of approx. € 400 million

2022

1&1 MOBILE NETWORK

1&1 has concluded further important contracts with tower companies and a roaming partner abroad for the roll-out of the 5G mobile network

2021

1&1 mobile network

Important milestones on the way to become the 4th German network operator: National roaming agreement with Telefónica, OpenRAN partnership with Rakuten, radio tower partnership with Vantage Towers

2020

United Internet

Business model proves extremely stable even during coronavirus pandemic; customer contracts exceed 25 million for first time

2019

1&1 Drillisch

Successful 5G frequency auction with a total price of EUR 1.07 billion

2018

IONOS

Rebranding of 1&1 Internet SE after completing the integration of ProfitBricks

World4You

Takeover of the Austrian web hosting market leader

2017

affilinet

Transfer of affilinet into AWIN

Drillisch

Merger of 1&1 Telecomminication and Drillisch (United Internet share in the new 1&1 Drillisch AG: 73%)

ProfitBricks

Takeover of the cloud hosting specialist

Strato

Takeover of the #2 in German web hosting market

2016

Warburg Pincus

Strategic partnership and 33% stake in Business Applications Division

Tele Columbus

Acquisition of approx. 25% stake of the second largest German cable network operator

2015

Drillisch

Acquisition of an equity stake of approx. 20%

home.pl

Acquisition of the Polish webhosting market leader

2014

Versatel

Takeover of Versatel GmbH

2013

Arsys

Takeover of the Spanish webhosting and cloud specialist

De-Mail

Start of the De-Mail service and the sector’s initiative “E-Mail Made in Germany”

2010

Mobile Internet

Start of the mobile Internet business with 1&1 All-Net-Flat

mail.com

Takeover of the US service mail.com

2009

AdLink Internet Media

Disposal of AdLink Internet Media

2008

united-domains

Acquisition of one of the leading domain registrars in Europe

2007

ULL

DSLcomplete packages from 1&1. Separate telephone connections by Deutsche Telekom are no longer required

Versatel

Strategic investment of 25.05%

twenty4help

Disposal of twenty4help

2006

Fasthosts

Acquisition of the largest webhoster in Great Britain

United Internet Media AG

Founding of United Internet Media AG, under which the portals WEB.DE, GMX, mail.com and 1&1 are marketed

2005

WEB.DE

Acquisition of the e-mail service WEB.DE

2004

InterNetX

Acquisition of InterNetX – one of the largest providers of domains, webspace and hosting products for resellers

Entry into the Austrian market

The 1&1 web hosting business starts in Austria

Start of R-DSL

Resale of DSL lines to complement Deutsche Telekom's telephone lines via the 1&1 brand

2003

Entry into the US market

Market entry of the 1&1 brand through a 100-day pre-launch phase: free webhosting for 3 years to establish the brand

New data center

New high-performance data center goes live in Karlsruhe, with room for more than 25,000 servers

2001

Sedo

Investment in the leading market place for domains

2000

Entry into the British market

1&1 web hosting business starts in the United Kingdom

Entry into the French market

1&1 web hosting business starts in France

affilinet

Acquisition of affilinet GmbH and expansion of expertise in affiliate marketing

IPO

IPO of AdLink Internet Media

Start of T-DSL

Bundle marketing of Telekom DSL connections and 1&1 Internet tariffs

1&1 becomes United Internet

1&1 Internet AG & Co. KGaA renamed as United Internet AG: 17 independent subsidiaries are combined under the umbrella of Holding

1998

GMX

Founding of the e-mail service

Schlund+Partner

Acquisiton of the German webhosting market leader

IPO

as 1&1 Internet AG & Co. KGaA as of March 23, 1998

New 1&1 logo

Introduction of new 1&1 branding

1997

M.I.P. Zweibrücken

Opening start-up center

Internet Service Provider

1&1 with own access based on dial-up connections

1&1 Online Dialog

Foundation of 1&1 Online Dialog GmbH (later AdLINK)

1995

BTX plus

Development of Btx to premium service Btx plus by 1&1

1992

Btx

1&1 repositioned Btx

Service provider for large customers

Marketing and sales partner for IBM, Compaq and Deutsche Telekom

twenty4help

Foundation of the customer care service providers for IBM, Apple, Microsoft and other ITC companies

1989

Teletex marketing

Cooperation with the Federal Ministry of Post and Telecommunications

1988

1&1 as marketing partner

Cooperative marketing for software companies by the start of “1&1 Software-Börse” on April 21, 1988