The Overlooked Engine of Digital Sustainability The ICT aftermarket is a multi-billion industry that is fragmented and less consistently measured than the primary equipment market. While original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) dominate headlines, independent providers quietly handle and manage millions of devices. This market is not merely a waste-management system; it is a strategic economic and…
The European Right to Repair Directive (EU 2024/1799) comes into force on July 31, 2026, reshaping the landscape for professional repairers and secondary market operators across Europe. While much of the public discourse focuses on consumer benefits, the directive creates significant opportunities and challenges for businesses operating in repair, refurbishment, and the circular economy. This…
Closing the Sovereignty Gap: The IT Aftermarket as a Pillar of Europe’s Digital Infrastructure Strengthening Strategic Autonomy, Open Markets, Competitiveness, and Sustainability in Enterprise ICT. Free ICT Europe and its paper to join the discussions regarding EU Digital Sovereignty. It highlights a critical but often overlooked layer of autonomy: the ability to maintain, repair and…
We joined the “28 for All” campaign We’ve joined the 28 for All campaign, a growing coalition calling for a Single Market that actually works in practice, not just on paper. The proposal is simple: a “28th regime” that allows companies to operate across Europe under one clear set of rules, instead of navigating 27…
After the Storm. Navigating Europe’s new ICT policy landscape Free ICT Europe has released its first 2026 interim report, After the Storm, offering a timely analysis of how shifting EU political priorities are reshaping the future of the ICT market and the secondary technology ecosystem. Drawing on developments from the second half of 2025 and…
The unprecedented ransomware attack that started on 12th May was wholly predictable and a wakeup up call of reality to a sleepwalking world. Everyone seems to have a view on the attack with traditional media and social media being red hot with comments and finger pointing; according to Microsoft it’s all the fault of the…
Since 2012 Reselling Software has been started by a number of brokers. Though little has been done to reassure owners of surplus software licenses and shelfware that, yes, indeed, licenses can be marketed and sold on. The European Court has restated the legality of the resale of software in Europe in its latest judgment: even…
Once upon a time it was always sunny in summer, it always snowed at Christmas & the world revolved at a much slower pace, whilst the former two maybe views from the rose tinted spectacles of age, the latter is undoubtedly true. Was the world a better place then or not I really couldn’t say,…
News of a new Broadcom deal rarely arrives with great fanfare. The November 2023 VMWare acquisition provoked open worry online and in business circles, with many critics wondering whether the former Hewlett-Packard spinoff’s reputation would prove accurate — one of “milking” its cash cow purchases by cutting expenses and extracting revenue, often at the expense…
COP28: Regulation needed for ‘invisible’ world? ICT enterprise technology has become crucial for our digitally-connected, worldwide economy. Big Tech is visible in the form of Google, Microsoft, Apple, Amazon and Facebook from our desks. But how transparent are the vendors that make all this possible through the connected networks, data storage, and software applications that…