The communication society, the nearly universal information technology support for business processes and the development of new locations bring constant challenges to the IT functions of large companies. An adequately equipped IT infrastructure, both technologically and quantitatively, is the foundation for stable IT systems and thus for optimal IT support.

It is of considerable importance to Volkswagen that the IT infrastructure’s equipment is energy-efficient and resource-friendly: for us, “Green IT” is not a buzzword. It is a priority. The Audi brand’s new data center at the Ingolstadt location is an example of the systematic approach adopted in the Volkswagen Group: as soon as an ambient temperature of 12°C is reached, outside air is exclusively used for cooling. Although more than twice as many servers are being used as before, innovative technology makes it possible to eliminate the use of energy-intensive refrigeration compressors for cooling for more than six months a year. This enabled the data center to reduce its energy consumption by around one-third despite its expansion.

The efficient enhancement of the application environment at the different corporate locations, in the business processes and in the sales network is just as vital as having a modern IT infrastructure. The IT staff are responsible not only for programming the systems at all of the Volkswagen Group’s brands, but also for supporting users in Technical Development, Production and Sales. This is how applications tailored to the exact needs of the users are created. Volkswagen’s factory planners can use the “digital factory,” for example, to virtually walk through the future production buildings long before the ground is broken. IT ensures that employees on the production line can build the right vehicle at the right time using the “Fertigungs-, Informations- und Steuerungssystem” (FIS – Production, Information and Control System) system used throughout the Group. The IT-based car sharing “Quicar – Share a Volkswagen” project, was launched in 2011 in cooperation with Volkswagen Financial Services AG. At currently 50 stations in Hanover, Quicar customers have 200 Golf BlueMotion cars available for use 24/7. Expert teams on the ground develop solutions that can be applied globally and across brands for all of these IT services. This enables Volkswagen to establish IT standards in the business areas that are the basis for leveraging potential synergies, among other things.

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