By Michiel Grotenhuis and Frederick Schiwek | Web Hosting Today

When InterNetX announced its 2025 Domain Summit in Frankfurt, the initial buzz focused on domain portfolios, diversification, and digital security. As experts at Web Hosting Today, and long-time participants in the hosting and domain space, we saw it as more than just another event. This summit turned out to be a reflection of where the industry stands right now and where it’s headed, during two hot days in Frankfurt/Germany.

Michiel Grotenhuis:
From the first evening at PSD Bank Arena, the atmosphere felt intentional, less about spectacle, more about substance. The conversations weren’t superficial; they were practical, sometimes even blunt. You could sense that people came not just to network but to share. That honesty set the tone for the next day.

We’ve often covered domain-related news from a hosting perspective, but this event made one thing clear: domains are no longer the silent partner in the hosting stack. They’re center stage  especially when it comes to cybersecurity, regulatory pressure, and long-term value creation.

Frederick Schiwek:
 I completely agree. The speakers didn’t just stay within the comfort zone of trends or buzzwords. Sessions like the panel on digital sovereignty and the deep dive into NIS2 compliance cut straight to the core of real operational challenges.

And let’s not forget the workshop on fakeshop takedowns by Rinor Gashi from united-domains. That was one of the most actionable talks I’ve seen in a while. It’s one thing to talk about threats, but it’s another to walk the audience through actual takedown strategies that are working on the ground.

What stood out to me, especially from the IONOS Group representatives, was the clarity of direction. It’s clear they’re looking at domains as part of a broader digital services matrix — which fits perfectly with what we’re seeing in the hosting space, where services are converging.

Michiel Grotenhuis:
The “Invest. Protect. Diversify.” theme might sound simple, but it hit at a crucial reality: domain management is now inseparable from platform strategy. This came through in the talk by Elias Rendón Benger from InterNetX, short, but sharp. He tied domains into cyber resilience and sovereignty, topics that, frankly, most hosting providers now need to understand, whether they want to or not.

The strength of this summit was also in its structure. Between focused keynotes, topical panels, and more relaxed breakout sessions, it created space for layered discussions. For instance, the Radix story on finding product-market fit, it wasn’t just a success story, it was a look at humility and iteration in action.

Frederick Schiwek:
 There was a subtle but important message from the IONOS Group leadership too: collaboration between their brands is tightening, and that means more cohesive services across hosting, domains, and security. As partners, resellers, or even competitors in the ecosystem, we need to watch this closely.

I also appreciated how this wasn’t just a vendor show. There were plenty of independent voices. Melanie Schoen’s talk on domain screw-ups brought humor and experience, and the panel with ICANN and CENTR touched on the future of TLDs from a global policy standpoint.

Michiel Grotenhuis:
 And let’s not skip over the energy at Champions Night. Events like this don’t live and die on content alone. They work because they create space for real conversations — the kind you don’t have in Slack channels or video calls. I left with more than just notes; I left with a deeper understanding of where the domain-hosting intersection is going.

Frederick Schiwek:
 Exactly. For Web Hosting Today readers, here’s our key takeaway: domains aren’t just a starting point anymore. They’re becoming a strategic layer in the hosting stack. Security, monetization, brand protection, it’s all connected.

The Domain Summit 2025 proved that the future isn’t about adding services on top. It’s about integrating them from the start, and the IONOS ecosystem is clearly moving in that direction.

Final Thought (Together):
 This wasn’t just a domain summit. It was a checkpoint for where the industry is heading. Whether you’re running infrastructure, managing reseller programs, or planning for NIS2 impact, there was something here for you.

We’ll be watching how these insights translate into action in the coming months, and we’ll continue reporting from the ground, wherever the next wave takes us.