On August 6, 1991, the world’s first website was launched in Switzerland. Five years later, Gira also entered the web. This step was the starting point for building an extensive online network.

• The Gira website in its infancy
• Gira Services go live
• Gira takes on social media
• Online services for specialist partners
• 25 years and counting: an interactive network

As the company’s very first online presence, Gira.de went live in 1996. Gira thus became the first switch manufacturer with its own website. The international version, Gira.com, followed in 1997. Needless to say, the content and services available online were much less comprehensive than today. Hartmut Keen, responsible for product communication at Gira, still remembers the early days:

“Our customers didn’t even think of looking us up online. Back then, we were quite successful without our own website,” Keen tells us. Around that time, he was still working in the advertising department.

„I remember those times fondly,“ Hartmut Keen tells us with a chuckle. „At Gira, we had exactly two modems: One at my office, making weird, squeaky noises, and one in the IT department. Unimaginable today, of course, but this is how Gira came to use the internet.”

On the very first version of Gira.de, the company introduces itself and the products needed for modern electric installations – accompanied by small images of the most common products, such as the design line Gira S-Color and the innovative Instabus system. Today, the latter is known as KNX and operated through the Gira HomeServer and Gira X1.

Thanks to technological advancements and a growing number of users, the website becomes increasingly relevant. While other companies are slowly trying to establish themselves online, Gira is already planning the next steps and continues to introduce new services:

• 2002: The digital version of the Gira product catalogue is launched at the beginning of the international trade fair “Light & Building.”

• 2006: The Gira media platform, containing all images of the Gira product portfolio, becomes accessible for online users.

• 2007: Via the Gira inscription service, customers can now order individually designed products online.

• 2012: The Gira AppShop provides software for Gira Smart Home products on an exclusive platform.

• 2019: The Gira Home Assistant helps users at Gira.de to find the right Smart Home solution.

In 2010, Gira sets foot into the world of social media by launching its German Facebook page. The goal is to enable a direct line of communication with existing and potential customers. An international Instagram account subsequently premieres in 2016, followed by an international Facebook page in 2017. Two years later, Gira further extends its social network with a profile on the inspiring platform Pinterest.

From the beginning, all social media channels have been filled with new content on a regular basis – ranging from practical tips to creative inspiration.

Apart from the official websites, G.Pulse, and social media channels, Gira found another way toward online success: Throughout the past two decades, the company has been building a solid network for electricians.

The Gira Academy is a prime example: Since the 1990s, professionals such as electricians, KNX experts, and system integrators – so-called specialist partners – have been using this platform to expand their technical skills.

In a similar vein, Gira Aktiv Partner Club launched its own website in 2000 and has been fostering an active dialog between Gira and its business partners based in Germany and Austria. Professional customers are specifically targeted through partner.Gira.com, while Gira.de and Gira.com address the needs of private customers.

A quarter of a century ago, Gira started its online presence with a small, simple website. Today, it comprises an interactive network that speaks to every target audience across various channels: Existing and potential customers can explore the Gira product range on the website and via social media, whereas electricians, KNX experts, and other specialist partners can educate themselves through partner.Gira.com and the Gira Academy.

Applicants looking for new career opportunities may also find useful information on the platform Gira Employer before contacting the company directly.