Quality under hand and seal: Gigaset awarded HTV-Life® mark

Munich, March 24, 2014 – Planned obsolescence, where a manufacturer deliberately designs a product to have a limited useful life, is currently a major topic. More and more consumers are demanding greater clarity and transparency when they buy new products. The HTV-Life® mark of excellence is intended to create clarity – and now Gigaset is one of the world’s first manufacturers to obtain it for four of its products. 

Gigaset is one of the world’s first manufacturers to aim to label its products with the HTV-Life® mark. It has now obtained the seal for the Gigaset C620 family phone, which was launched in the middle of this year.

The seal of excellence is certified and awarded by HTV, one of Europe’s largest test houses. HTV has been testing electronic components for more than 27 years and specializes in testing and identifying deliberately built-in weaknesses in products.

“Obsolescence is an important issue for consumers. After all, they want to know whether a product is deliberately intended to work for a certain length of time only,” says Dr. Kurt Aretz, Head of Voice Consumer Products at Gigaset. “As part of the inspection, our products undergo extensive examinations aimed at ensuring that no weaknesses are built into them.” Over the next few months Gigaset intends to gradually gain HTV-Life® mark for the entire portfolio.

HTV-Life® mark for the Gigaset C620 family phone
The Gigaset C620 has been designed as a family phone. It has extensive features, such as direct keys for the babyphone, call protection, particularly long talk and standby times, and a large TFT color display. “A phone like the C620 is used in a wide range of different situations and is exposed to numerous stresses and strains,” adds Dr. Aretz. “With the HTV-Life® mark, we wish to give our customers an additional, objective criterion to help them decide what to buy with a clear conscience – just like you would expect from our premium products ‘Made in Germany’.” Further evidence of the quality of the excellence of the Gigaset C620 family phone is the first place in the current cordless phone test of German “Stiftung Warentest”.

The HTV-Life® mark is covering a complete product family at a time. Whether C620, C620A, the version with voice mail, or the handset C620H. The same applies with the other three Gigaset models, A400, C430 SL400 that also bear the mark. The A400 is a stylish phone with an unpretentious, ergonomic design and compelling inner values. The SL400 is the smallest cordless phone from Gigaset and comes in a compact mobile phone format. The C430 presents itself as a discreet companion in everyday life and sets the tone as an individual element of style.

About HTV-GmbH
HTV has existed since 1986 and is an independent test house for conducting electronic, mechanical and chemical analyses, as well as examining the service life of products. The company currently has around 220 employees. HTV’s expertise is highly sought in studies, such as by federal offices, as well as for expert reports or qualifications. As a specialist in long-term conservation of components, HTV has very great competence in testing and analyzing mechanisms that cause products to age or fail and in determining the useful life of components.

The HTV-Life® mark of excellence is awarded on the basis of the general conditions, which are available on HTV-Life’s homepage www.HTV-Life.com. They specify the criteria for awarding the HTV-Life® mark.


Gigaset AG, Munich, is an internationally operating company in the area of communications technology. The Company is Europe's market leader in DECT telephones. The premium supplier ranks second worldwide with around 1,400 employees and a market presence in around 70 countries.

Gigaset AG is listed on the Prime Standard of Deutsche Börse and so is subject to the very highest requirements for transparency. Its shares are traded on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange under the symbol 'GGS' (ISIN: DE0005156004).

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