Mindfulness is the be-all and end-all

Ten years later, it is clear that these questions are more relevant than ever. We are living in a state of permanent global crisis: the coronavirus pandemic, wars, climate change, supply chain disruptions, blackouts. The power outage in Spain in April 2025 made it clear once again: resilience is not a theoretical concept, but a survival strategy. This blackout was the biggest disruption in the European grid system in more than 20 years. Subways, telephone lines, traffic lights, and ATMs failed. Rail traffic came to a standstill, and there were miles of traffic jams on the roads. Airports were also affected.

Our national subsidiary T-Systems Iberia, on the other hand, was not affected by the power outage. We were there for our customers at all times. Our data center in Barcelona continued to operate without interruption. This was because we had taken steps in advance to be as well prepared as possible for such a situation – in line with our zero outage philosophy.

I discussed the importance of this zero-error concept and resilience in general in the latest Splunk podcast with host Sven Hansel. I emphasized why resilience in IT is not a nice-to-have, but has long been a must-have – for companies of all sizes. The answer to this cannot be just a crisis team. Resilience is a matter for top management. Management and the business model must be prepared for the worst-case scenario at all times.

Quality is King

And resilience begins with quality. For us, it was and remains clear: doing everything possible for our customers means putting quality first, without compromise. Quality is King! At the same time, high quality and competitiveness are not mutually exclusive. On the contrary – reliable IT is the basis for differentiation, trust, and confidence. And at the end of the day, quality protects you from losses amounting to millions.

A key lever for this is mindfulness within the company. Today, everything is measurable in real time. Critical factors belong on a clear dashboard, like in the cockpit of a Formula 1 driver. The term observability describes this technically, but at its core it is about something human: looking, listening, and acting in a timely manner. Processes help with this, because not everyone is always 100 percent mindful.

In 2026, another topic will become increasingly important for companies and decision-makers: artificial intelligence. AI is disruptive – and necessary. For our economy, for growth, for prosperity. We must overcome our mental barriers. Because AI can maintain machines better (predictive maintenance), optimize quality processes, or support doctors in the emergency room. The important thing is that these are all human-based decisions, where humans as developers can intervene at any time.

That’s why we’re working with NVIDIA and SAP to build Europe’s largest and most advanced industrial AI cloud – a sovereign AI factory with the highest security and quality standards. This is particularly crucial for small and medium-sized businesses in order to make machines, processes, and business models more resilient.

Why the zero-outage mindset is more urgent today than ever before, why resilience is important, and how AI can support companies in this endeavor – I discuss these topics and much more in the Splunk podcast. Have a listen! (Available in German only)

In the podcast, Dr. Ferri Abolhassan talks about why resilience is always in demand, why companies need to be more mindful, and why working with customers is the most noble task in a company. He also explains why only resilient companies can operate independently and securely – in short, confidently.