Welcome to Extra Mile by KnowledgeNile, an interview series where industry leaders discuss innovations, tech trends, marketing tactics, and expert insights.
Today, we are overwhelmed to have a conversation with André Klahold, Chief Executive Officer of InterRed GmbH, a frontrunner in content management, editorial systems, and multi-channel publishing. The company assists firms operating in the domains of newspapers, magazines, corporate publishing, and content marketing with AI-based solutions.
Klahold initiated the founding of InterRed in 1993. Since then, the company has brought several transformations in the fields of content management and AI. Let's acquire insights on InterRed's tactics and AI-based facilities from the CEO of the company.
Hello André! We're delighted to host you today!
You have set a fine example of successful entrepreneurship. What inspired you to start your own business? What challenges did you face and overcome in the process?
Ans. When we started InterRed in 1993, the internet was still in its infancy as a medium. After three years of consulting in the areas of database design and management, we recognised the potential of the internet and digital media for the emerging information and knowledge society. It quickly became clear that digital technologies would not only revolutionise traditional processes, but that they would be indispensable for the future of communication and knowledge transfer – similar to the profound change that the transition from craftsmanship to industrial production brought about. As early as 1997, we developed InterRed, one of the first content management systems on the German market. Even though the idea for this came from the first content management systems (CMS) in the USA, we took a different approach.
Fresh out of university, we developed a CMS with a concept and data model that was supposed to have all theoretically conceivable features. From versioning to multilingualism to content structures that can be adapted at any time. We didn't have a project at the time, so we developed everything from scratch.
In retrospect, this proved to be a huge advantage. The concept and data model have never reached their limits and are still state of the art even after more than 25 years.
Of course, the code has been refactored several times over the years. But because the concept and data model remained unchanged, customers never had any problems updating. Even technology-heavy publishers have remained loyal to us for 25 years. We are particularly proud of this.
This combination of constant innovation and reliability is what has brought us more and more customers over the years.
Could you describe your educational background and how it has influenced your career path? Considering this, what aspects of your education have you found to be most influential in your journey as an entrepreneur and leader?
Ans. I have been involved in scientific research in computer science since 1988. My studies were the foundation for my career in the technology industry. A university education enables you to implement what is feasible according to the current state of technology, but also to know where the theoretical limits are that cannot be overcome, no matter how hard you try.
Academic research is something I still do today. What motivates me is identifying these limits. This is not always application-driven and often begins with a pure thirst for knowledge. Surprisingly, much of it later turns out to have practical uses.
After completing my doctorate on a theoretical topic in the field of recommendation systems, I spent years involved in research and teaching at the University of Siegen. This year I was appointed as an honorary professor.
The cooperation with the university creates synergies between research, teaching and practice-oriented innovation. Teaching becomes more vivid when you can incorporate examples from practice. And practice benefits from the theoretical knowledge created at universities.
How can AI be advantageous for content management systems? How do you integrate AI into your solutions, and what real-world benefits does that bring to your customers?
Ans. Artificial intelligence has the potential to fundamentally revolutionise the creation, management and publication of content, taking it to a new level of efficiency. At InterRed, we use AI in a targeted way to optimise the entire content creation and management process. One highlight is our AI-based digital editor, which uses computer-aided writing to seamlessly combine creativity and technology. Features such as automatic title generation, summaries, stylistic rewriting and optimisations in the area of SEO, as well as video and audio editing, make our customers' daily work easier.
A key feature is dynamic content adaptation. With the help of AI, we can automatically tailor content to the needs of different target groups and channels (such as social media, websites or newsletters). This ensures maximum relevance and optimises the delivery across all platforms. In addition, our AI enables the automation of routine tasks, such as categorising and tagging content. This reduces the workload on editors, allowing them to concentrate on creative, value-adding activities.
In multi-channel publishing, AI also increases efficiency by automatically adapting content to the requirements of different platforms. This results in significant time savings and increased quality in publishing.
Last but not least, our unique SmartPaper solution enables the automated creation of print products in the print sector. Generating a newspaper, a magazine, an e-paper, as well as print products such as flyers, brochures, etc. fully automatically and without additional effort opens up completely new perspectives.
Reliability and transparency are particularly important to us in all of this: our AI works within ‘guidelines’ and always documents where it has intervened and indicates the sources of the generated content. We call this solution InterRed SmartAI – a combination of innovation and responsibility that offers our customers maximum support in their daily content creation and management.
After all, AI only adds value if the time saved is not eliminated by the time spent checking it. Because in that case, you might feel good because the machine is working for you, but you haven't really gained anything in terms of time.
SmartAI offers our customers enormous advantages: they save time and resources and can deliver their content in a much more targeted and efficient way, ultimately leading to greater reach and better conversion rates.
What are the current trends in content management and multi-channel publishing, and how is InterRed GmbH positioning itself to adapt to these trends?
Ans. A central trend in content management is the increasing integration of artificial intelligence and automation. AI is fundamentally changing the way content is created, managed and personalised. All areas of the content process are affected, from content creation to the channel-specific transformation of assets to the targeted selection and placement of content for various output channels (curation). InterRed's technology is used for automation in the digital sector (websites, social media, apps, etc.) as well as for the automatic creation of print products, including newspapers, magazines and e-papers.
Another important development is the headless approach. With this architecture, the backend, where content is managed and stored, and the frontend, which presents the content, are separated from each other. This separation offers developers more flexibility in their choice of technologies for presenting content and facilitates distribution across different channels. This omnichannel strategy ensures a consistent and seamless user experience across all platforms.
As a manufacturer, we have to anticipate these developments at an early stage. We have incorporated a concept into the DNA of our software that combines flexibility and consistency. This enables us to respond to the changing demands of the market.
Considering the market, driven by continuous and rapid changes in technology, how do you stay updated and competitive and maintain a competitive edge?
Ans. The key to remaining successful in such a dynamic market lies in continuous innovation and a willingness to constantly reinvent ourselves. And at the same time, to enable our customers to use the innovations smoothly. At InterRed, we invest specifically in research and development to ensure that our technologies are always up to date. We constantly monitor technological trends and developments, particularly in the areas of AI, automation and content management, in order to integrate them into our products at an early stage.
In addition, we maintain an intensive dialogue with our customers. Through this collaboration, we understand the practical challenges they face and can thus develop solutions that not only lead the way technologically but also specifically meet the needs of the market.
Another competitive advantage comes from our flexibility. While many companies often react to changes with difficulty, we are able to quickly address new trends and continuously improve our products. Our modular system architecture allows us to seamlessly integrate new technologies, thereby creating sustainable added value for our customers.
Ultimately, it's not just about being technologically up-to-date, but also about maintaining a close relationship with the market and with customers in order to proactively respond to their future requirements.
What is your long-term vision related to InterRed GmbH, and what goals do you set for the future?
Ans. My vision for InterRed is to continue to be the innovation leader in the field of multi-channel publishing and content management. In the long term, I see us, as we do today, as a central player that not only provides technological solutions, but also fundamentally changes the way companies create, manage and distribute content.
One of our main goals is to further expand our AI-supported solutions and make them even smarter. I am convinced that AI-based systems will determine the future of content management and publishing, and we will continue to play a pioneering role in this area in the future. Our goal is to provide our customers with even more powerful tools that will help them achieve their goals more efficiently and successfully.
One of our long-term goals is international expansion. We will continue to expand our presence in the global markets and establish InterRed as a leading provider of content management and multi-channel publishing solutions worldwide.
Based on your extensive experience, if you had to advise anything to a young, ambitious software entrepreneur just starting their business, what would that be?
Ans. My most important advice to young entrepreneurs is to focus on developing a clear and long-term goal. It is essential to have a strong vision from the outset that drives the company forward, but at the same time to remain flexible enough to respond to changes in the market or technological innovations. Technology is developing rapidly, and it is crucial to constantly learn and be open to new ideas.
In addition, you should focus on quality and customer satisfaction. A company's success depends largely on how well you understand your customers' needs and develop innovative solutions that offer real added value. It is important to take feedback seriously and to continuously improve. Networking and building strong partnerships should not be underestimated either, as they are often crucial to the growth and stability of a young company.
Another important aspect is staying power. Entrepreneurial success rarely comes overnight. There will be setbacks, but with persistence, a clear vision and a strong team, success is sure to come in the long term.
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