About us

What moves us and who we want to be.

We, RIEDEL Networks, are a global network provider from Butzbach, Germany, focusing on customized and secure network and IT security solutions for companies and the broadcast sector. As part of the RIEDEL Communication Group in Wuppertal, Germany, we are fully privately owned by Thomas Riedel and have access to a company structure of over 1,000 colleagues in over 30 locations in Europe, Australia, Asia and America.

RIEDEL Networks is a 100% company of the RIEDEL Communications Group in Wuppertal.

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"We have been building individual network solutions for our customers with great success for many years. Regardless of whether it's a small medium-sized company, a multinational corporation or a top-class broadcaster: our way of working is always based on the same values. The result: we work on the networks of the future with fun, passion and a great sense of responsibility."

Michael Martens, CEO RIEDEL Networks

Reliable

Our actions are characterized by passion, commitment and responsibility. We take responsibility for the quality and reliability of our services.

Customer-centered

The customer is at the center of our daily work. We strive to exceed our customers' expectations by offering customized solutions and ensuring excellent service.

Innovative

We rely on innovative technologies and solutions to offer our customers the latest network functionalities. In doing so, we benefit from our advantages within the CISCO Early Field Test Program.

In partnership

We view both internal and external relationships as partnerships of equals. We place great value on trust, clear agreements and mutual respect in order to be successful together.

Open

Transparent communication and honest exchange are essential for RIEDEL Networks. We promote open processes and teamwork in order to ensure trusting cooperation.

Approachable

Business relationships are also relationships: We maintain personal and accessible relationships with customers and partners in order to better understand and fulfill individual needs.

A little bit better every day

At RIEDEL Networks, we focus not just on business, but on the impact of our business and our behavior on the environment, the communities and the people who work with and for us.
We are constantly upgrading our backbone equipment to the latest standards to minimize our carbon footprint. Our company car policy is geared towards CO2 emissions of currently a maximum of 100 g/km.
RIEDEL Networks supports its employees with flexible working solutions to enable them to work from home in conjunction with desktop virtualization. We see a strong benefit of a good work-life balance for both our employees and the company.

Castle of Fiber Glass

The RIEDEL Networks Campus in Butzbach

The Landgrave's Castle of Butzbach was originally a town castle belonging to the Lords of Falkenstein.

However, current excavations in the castle grounds have revealed that there was probably a small circular moated castle on the site as early as 1200. The Falkensteins extended the estate around 1390, then it was the seat of the von Eppstein-Königstein family, the Archbishop of Mainz and finally the castle of the Landgrave of Hesse. Landgrave Philipp von Hessen-Butzbach (1609-1643) rebuilt the castle, which had been partially burnt down in 1603, as a stately residence, incorporating a late medieval core building.

The castle had an observatory. The astronomer Johannes Kepler was a guest here twice in 1621 and 1627. In 1898, the castle was converted into an infantry barracks and given the name Castle Barracks. The landgrave's castle was originally a two-winged building; the west wing was only added when the barracks were extensively extended in 1935/36. From 1951 to 1992, the barracks were used by the United States Army. After the troops left, the castle was used for civilian purposes.

RIEDEL Networks uses two floors in the west wing and a further floor in the south wing of the Landgrafenschloss as offices. Both the Networks Operations Center (NOC) and the Security Operations Center (SOC) work hand in hand with the other colleagues here.

If you would like to find out more about the castle, you should not miss this information board:

To the information board

Michael Martens

Chief Executive Officer

Michael Martens was appointed Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of RIEDEL Networks in May 2012. Before joining RIEDEL Networks, he was a member of the management board of Colt Technology Services for 5 years, where he was responsible for wholesale and mid-market DACH and Eastern Europe. Prior to that, Michael Martens was a member of the management board of Verizon Business Germany, where he was responsible for sales to resellers, system integrators, carriers and service providers. Michael Martens began his career in 1984 at Deutsche Telekom as a telecommunications technician, is a telecommunications specialist and studied business informatics at the AKAD Institute.

Thomas Bender

Chief Operations Officer

Thomas Bender has been with RIEDEL Networks since July 1, 2022. He started as Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) and took over the role of Chief Operations Officer (COO) in June'23. Previously, Thomas Bender was a member of the senior management team and authorized signatory at BT Germany and held senior positions such as Head of Telco Procurement DACH & Nordics. As COO at RIEDEL Networks, he is responsible for Accounting, Procurement (Bid Management, Carrier & Supplier Relations), Project Management and our warehouse. Thomas Bender is a full member of the Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply (MCIPS) and has extensive knowledge and experience in the areas of purchasing and procurement strategies.

Oliver Burgdorf

Chief Sales Officer

Oliver Burgdorf has been Chief Sales Officer (CSO) at RIEDEL Networks since July 1, 2025. In this role, he is responsible for the strategic and operational management of sales. He previously worked at Deutsche Telekom for over 15 years, most recently as Vice President Germany - New Mobile Business. He started his career at WorldCom (later MCI WorldCom) and has over 20 years of experience in the sale of business customer solutions in the telecommunications industry. In addition to his industry experience, Oliver Burgdorf is actively involved in the promotion of young talent and the transfer of knowledge between business and science, including in cooperation with the Ruhr University Bochum.

Today

2024

Opening of the RIEDEL Networks Media House in Cologne-Lövenich, which was launched with the UEFA Champions League highlights production project

Inclusion as the only private network service provider in the Gartner Magic Quadrant for Global WAN Services 2024

RIEDEL Networks once again recognized as a Leader in Managed SD-WAN Services by ISG

2023

Establishment of a new PoP in Manama (Bahrain) through the partnership with Kalaam to expand the backbone in the MENA region. By using the KNOT (optical transport network), we cover 5 additional countries such as Saudi Arabia (Riyadh), Kuwait (Kuwait City), Qatar (Doha), Abu Dhabi and Dubai (both UAE).

Foundation of the new RIEDEL Networks Media Division under the management of Timo Koch

For the 8th time: RIEDEL Networks is recognized by ISG as a leader in the field of Managed SD-WAN

2023

2022

The Lucky 7, Riedel Networks has been recognized for the 7th time by ISG as a Leader in Managed (SD) WAN Services in Germany

Riedel Networks has once again been recognized in the Gartner Magic Quadrant for Network Services, Global

No frills, no pretense... just the power of sport. We are proud to have been selected as a connectivity partner by Dyn Media GmbH.

2021

2021 - Riedel Networks is Magic. We are very proud to be included for the first time in the Gartner Magic Quadrant for Networks Services, Global alongside providers such as BT, DTAG, Telefonica or Verizon.

DTM, Schaeffler and Riedel show the future of racing with a remote-controlled e-racing car. 1200 hp and with speeds of up to 180 km/h on the 4,326 meter long Red Bull Ring in Spielberg and the pilot Tim Heinemann sits at the wheel in a simulator 82 kilometers away.

Riedel Networks celebrates 20 years of network excellence

2021

2020

Addition of the Meraki product suite to the SD-WAN product range
Relocation of the network node in Sydney to a modern carrier hotel with lower power and CO2 consumption

2020

2019

Relaunch of the Riedel Networks website
Launch of the SD-WAN and SD-Branch products on the Cisco MSX platform
Renewed positioning in the Leader Quadrant for Network - Software Defined Solutions and Services of the ISG Group
Modernization of the network node in Miami, USA and bandwidth expansion for the lines between Miami, New York and Sao Paulo
Development of the network node in Moscow with direct connection to Western Europe and to the network nodes in Hong Kong and Tokyo

2019

2018

ISG Group rates Riedel Networks as a Leader in the Managed WAN Services quadrant and a Market Challenger in Managed SD-WAN Services and Mobility 4G/5G Services
Riedel Networks moves to Equinix's newest network node in Sao Paulo, Brazil, opening up additional direct connectivity opportunities in the South American region
The Village of Nations at the Olympic Games in Korea is connected to the Internet by Riedel Networks.
Together with kununu, Focus Business magazine recognizes Riedel Networks as a top employer among medium-sized companies.

2017

Riedel Networks positioned in the Leader Quadrant of the ISG Group for Managed WAN Services
First remote event production of RTL for the F1 live broadcast
Launch of Cloud Exchange for the directconnection of customer networks to public clouds such as AWS, Azure, Google, MS O365, Salesforce.com and others
Increase in backbone capacities by a factor of 10
Decision to set up an SDN based on the Cisco MSX platform

2017

2016

Riedel Networks in Experton's Leader Quadrant for Managed WAN Services
Networking of various houses of nations during the Olympic Games in Rio
New network node in Los Angeles at CoreSite One Wilshire for optimized connection of customers on the West Coast of the USA

2015

Introduction of a new OSS/BSS tool for optimal documentation and process-oriented order processing
First worldwide hybrid VPN (MPLS, IPSec and local Internet breakouts) on behalf of a medium-sized customer
Rock am Ring moves to Mendig Airport and we take care of the external communication via Internet and VoIP

2015

2014

Strong growth, backbone expansion by three times the capacity
Batelco and Riedel Networks agree on closer cooperation at ITW
Networking of various houses of nations during the Olympic Games in Sochi and live broadcast of the games for Dutch broadcaster NOS

2013

Launch of the sales partner channel for international SME customers
First MPLS networking of the DTM teams and for the ARD live broadcast
ESPN's first remote event production outside the USA for the live broadcast of the X-Games in the French Alps in Tignes

2013

2012

Takeover of V-Private AG by Thomas Riedel, owner of the RIEDEL Group, renamed RIEDEL Networks
Conversion to a scalable Ethernet backbone with double the capacity

2011

Internet connectivity of the Eurovision Song Contest in Düsseldorf on behalf of the RIEDEL Group

2011

2010

2009

Launch of the Network Service Provider Channel for the int'l network expansion of local, regional and national network operators
First F1 live transmission of RTL via our MPLS network on behalf of the RIEDEL Group

2006

First MPLS networking of F1 teams on behalf of the RIEDEL Group

2006

2005

Thomas Riedel acquires major shares in V-Private AG
Development of the global network on SDH basis
First MPLS networking of the Red Bull Air Race Series on behalf of the RIEDEL Group

2001

Company foundation

Foundation of V-Private AG in Butzbach near Frankfurt

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From the castle to the palace

More than 700 years of history in one place

From the Middle Ages to the Renaissance

The history of this site can be traced back more than 700 years. According to archaeological finds, it is assumed that there was a castle complex here as early as 1200 as a precursor to the later castle. The first moated castle was located in the middle of today's extensive castle courtyard (no longer visible today).

In the 13th century, there was still no town of Butzbach, only a village of that name (first mentioned in 773). It was not until 1221 that the local lords - the Counts of Falkenstein - were granted the right by the Emperor to develop Butzbach into a town, which was built in the immediate vicinity of the castle.

Almost 70 years later, the remains of the Falkenstein town castle, the oldest parts of the landgrave's castle, were erected in the new, extensive area of the town wall ring built by the townspeople. A high Gothic stair tower was also built around 1390, linking the floors together (demolished in 1818).

In 1419, the extensive castle complex passed to the heirs of the Falkensteins. The two mighty Gothic round towers of the east building date from around 1475, when the castle was a Gottstein residence.

At the beginning of the 16th century, the Landgraves of Hesse-Upper Hesse added the large south building with its two Gothic vaulted halls on the first floor, which was later magnificently extended by Landgrave Philipp von Butzbach.
The baroque palace of Landgrave Philipp

Landgrave Philipp III of Hesse-Darmstadt (1609-1643), who founded his own Butzbach line, united all rights to the castle and town in his hands for just a few years. He was able to build a small but fine residence in the castle, which had been partially burnt down in 1603, with attractions that were famous far and wide.

A small court gathered around the art-loving landgrave. Theologians, musicians, poets, physicists, engineers, astronomers, astrologers and artists sought to be close to the inquisitive and intelligent ruler. During the Thirty Years' War, he succeeded in keeping the town and lordship of Butzbach neutral. For over two decades, Butzbach was considered an "island of peace".

Remains from this period have been preserved in both castle buildings. In 1625, the Ballhaus was built in the western courtyard of the castle (the "oldest indoor tennis hall in Hesse") for the Landgrave and his guests to practice gymnastics. The large pleasure garden with its rare plants, arcades, figures, fountains and water features was just as popular with high-ranking visitors as the ornately and magnificently furnished rooms of the palace.
Decline of the castle complex

After the sudden accidental death of the childless landgrave on April 28, 1643, the princely heirs in Darmstadt showed little interest in the elaborate palace buildings in Butzbach. The complex gradually fell into disrepair and the most valuable inventory was taken away.

The valuable library was transferred to Darmstadt and the most important trees were moved to the botanical gardens in Giessen in the 18th century.
The numerous astronomical instruments of the landgrave's observatory were given to the University of Giessen, which was sponsored by Landgrave Philipp. The landgrave had worked with these instruments several times together with the famous imperial astronomer Johannes Kepler - an indication of the special importance of Philipp and his palace.

Between 1643 and 1709, the once magnificent Butzbach Castle served mainly as the widow's residence of the Landgraves of Hesse-Darmstadt, and from 1710 to 1741 as the seat of the Chief Forestry Office. The decay of the complex continued.

From 1741, the whole of Butzbach belonged to the Landgraviate of Hesse-Darmstadt, which was elevated to a Grand Duchy by Napoleon in 1806. Due to numerous inheritance gifts, interest in the long vacant landgravial castle continued to decline - demolition was imminent.

About us

What moves us and who we want to be.

Our values

The core of our work is based on firm convictions

Reliable

Customer-centered

Innovative

In partnership

Open

Approachable

Our social responsibility

What is important to us

A little bit better every day

Castle of Fiber Glass

The RIEDEL Networks Campus in Butzbach

Our management team

Leading by example!

Michael Martens

Chief Executive Officer

Thomas Bender

Chief Operations Officer

Oliver Burgdorf

Chief Sales Officer

Our crew

The faces behind the plugs!

MILESTONES

Once upon a time, not so long ago ...

Company foundation

Have you persevered this far?

From the castle to the palace

More than 700 years of history in one place

From the Middle Ages to the Renaissance

The baroque palace of Landgrave Philipp

Decline of the castle complex

About us

What moves us and who we want to be.

Our values

The core of our work is based on firm convictions

Reliable

Customer-centered

Innovative

In partnership

Open

Approachable

Our social responsibility

What is important to us

A little bit better every day

Castle of Fiber Glass

The RIEDEL Networks Campus in Butzbach

Our management team

Leading by example!

Michael Martens

Chief Executive Officer

Thomas Bender

Chief Operations Officer

Oliver Burgdorf

Chief Sales Officer

Our crew

The faces behind the plugs!

MILESTONES

Once upon a time, not so long ago ...

Company foundation

Have you persevered this far?

Contact us now

From the castle to the palace

More than 700 years of history in one place

From the Middle Ages to the Renaissance

The baroque palace of Landgrave Philipp

Decline of the castle complex