August 5, 2025, 2:38 pm | Read time: 2 minutes
The Berlin-based manufacturer AVM, known for its FritzBox routers, is changing its company name to Fritz! The decision was made due to the higher brand recognition of Fritz compared to AVM.
Founded in 1986 by four students in Berlin, AVM is one of the leading companies in communication technology in Germany. With products such as Wi-Fi routers, Wi-Fi boosters, and smart home technology, the company provides many German households with fast internet via DSL, cable, fiber optics, and even mobile internet. Models like the FritzBox 7690 or the FritzBox 6690 Cable are among the top routers on the market.
AVM Becomes Fritz!
The original name AVM, derived from “Audiovisuelles Marketing Computersysteme Vertriebs GmbH,” dates back to its beginnings as a BTX service provider. The somewhat cumbersome name was then simplified to “AVM.” Gradually, the company distanced itself from its original ISDN card offerings, and in 2004, the first AVM router was launched. The very first FritzBox was an innovation, as it combined a modem and router into one device, making it the first mass-market DSL router in Germany.
Since the Fritz! brand is much more well-known than AVM, the manufacturer has now decided to use it for the entire GmbH. This is now evident from an official press release. “With a brand recognition of around 80 percent in Germany and outstanding relevance among customers, FRITZ! is one of the most well-known brands in the home network, internet, and smart home sectors. Meanwhile, the recognition of the corporate brand AVM is significantly lower. Therefore, the company is now presenting itself under the name FRITZ! to create a clear, unified, and even more immediate recognizability,” the company stated.
Fritz Could Have Been Horst
The idea behind the product name Fritz was simple: The manufacturer was looking for a name that was memorable and also represented the “Made in Germany” seal of quality. What better choice than the classic German name Fritz? Around the globe, it is associated with Germany.
Incidentally, the name Horst was also considered–ultimately, they decided against it. Despite the name change, nothing is expected to change for customers or business partners. How the company itself will proceed in the future remains to be seen. Since the end of 2024, Fritz! has been under new leadership.