Pliezhausen, December 8, 2025 – DATAGROUP SE (“DATAGROUP”), a leading German IT service provider, today announced that Laura Schröder, Managing Director at KKR, has joined the company’s Supervisory Board with immediate effect, following her appointment by the court. She succeeds Manfred Boschatzke, who stepped down from the Supervisory Board effective on 29 November 2025.
Laura Schröder joined KKR, a leading global investment firm offering alternative asset management as well as capital markets and insurance solutions, in 2021 as part of the European Private Equity team. As Managing Director, she has led numerous investments in Germany, with a particular focus on the IT services sector. Previously, she worked at Advent International and began her career at 3i Group in 2011. She holds an MA in Banking and Finance from the University of St. Gallen.
In November 2025, KKR became a strategic partner of DATAGROUP through its investment alongside founder and Supervisory Board Chairman Max H.-H. Schaber, supporting the company’s growth and strengthening its position as a leading provider of secure and sovereign IT services.
Anke Banaschewski
Investor Relations & Corporate Communication
anke.banaschewski@datagroup.de
Pliezhausen, October 9, 2025 – Max Schaber, founder and Chairman of the Supervisory Board of DATAGROUP, was honored yesterday with the M&A Award for Lifetime Achievement. The award, presented by the Federal Association for Mergers & Acquisitions (BMA), recognizes outstanding contributions in the field of mergers and acquisitions in Germany.
The M&A Award was established in 2023 and has since become an important platform for companies and consultants in the M&A sector. The goal of the annual award ceremony, held in Berlin, is to highlight successful, innovative, and sustainable transactions and to promote best practices within the industry. Awards are presented in ten categories and consider criteria such as strategic relevance, economic success, degree of innovation, and sustainability.
Max Schaber was honored for his exceptional commitment and pioneering work in the field of mergers and acquisitions. Since DATAGROUP’s IPO in 2006, more than 30 companies have been successfully acquired and integrated into the overall organization. Through its consistently pursued “buy and turn around” and “buy and build” strategies, DATAGROUP has made a significant contribution to the consolidation of the German IT services market.
In all acquisitions, DATAGROUP places particular emphasis on preserving the acquired companies, their customer relationships, and their service portfolios. This not only strengthens the performance of the corporate group but also offers employees of the acquired companies a long-term secure perspective.
“This award is not only a personal honor but also a recognition of the many dedicated employees at DATAGROUP,” emphasizes Max Schaber. “Their commitment, expertise, and entrepreneurial spirit have made DATAGROUP one of the leading IT service companies in Germany. Our success in the M&A sector is based on partnership thinking, sustainable integration, and the belief that people are at the center of every transformation.”
The award highlights the importance of long-term M&A strategies for sustainable business success. Max Schaber’s career serves as a model for responsible and future-oriented acquisition policies that combine economic strength with social responsibility.
Anke Banaschewski
IInvestor Relations & Corporate Communication
presse@datagroup.de
Pliezhausen, January 24, 2025: DATAGROUP (WKN A0JC8S) announces changes in the Management Board. Dr. Sabine Laukemann, Management Board member at DATAGROUP SE since April 2022 and responsible for Human Resources, Corporate Communications, Organization, Legal and ESG, will leave the Management Board at her own request and for personal reasons on January 31, 2025 and leave the company on April 30, 2025. Her responsibilities will be taken over by CEO Andreas Baresel and his colleagues on the Executive Board. The proven structure with two Management Board members and two divisional Management Board members and thus the stable basis for sustainable growth will be retained. Mark Schäfer, who has been with DATAGROUP since 2019 and divisional board member since May 2024, will join the SE Management Board on February 1, 2025. Gerhard Kaminski will become Divisional Board member and take over responsibility for Human Resources alongside Alexandra Mülders, Divisional Board member Sales. The internal reorganization of DATAGROUP’s management will ensure continuity for the further successful development of DATAGROUP.
“Due to a current care situation in my family, I feel that I have a responsibility to focus more on family matters. The demands of this situation are no longer fully compatible with the requirements of my position. In order to meet my responsibilities within the family as well as my obligations towards DATAGROUP, I have therefore /decided to resign from my position”, says Dr. Sabine Laukemann.
To ensure a good and smooth transition, Dr. Sabine Laukemann will be available to DATAGROUP until April 30, 2025 as management support and in the context of handovers.
“We very much regret but respect Dr. Laukemann’s wish to leave our company. In more than 20 years at DATAGROUP, she has made a valuable contribution to the growth and success of DATAGROUP SE in various positions and areas of responsibility. On behalf of the Supervisory Board, I would like to express my sincere thanks to her for this. We wish Dr. Laukemann all the best for her personal and professional future and continued success”, says Heinz Hilgert, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of DATAGROUP SE.
As CEO and CFO, Andreas Baresel will be responsible for Finance, M&A, Legal and Investor Relations/Corporate Communications as well as for the service portfolio.
Mark Schäfer will move up to the Management Board with responsibility for Production. Gerhard Kaminski, a new member of the Divisional Board, will be responsible for Human Resources.
Gerhard Kaminski has been Managing Director of DATAGROUP Ulm since 2023 and will continue to hold this position in the future. Previously, he worked for SCHWENK Zement GmbH & Co KG for 22 years, including 10 years as a member of the management board with responsibility for HR, IT and corporate communications.
Alexandra Mülders has been with DATAGROUP since 2010 as Managing Director of one of the fastest-growing CORBOX units. Since 2023, she has also been Head of Sales and is responsible for DATAGROUP’s organic growth with a special focus on the full-service outsourcing product.
DATAGROUP continues to be excellently positioned with this proven structure. With a robust pipeline and the focus on strategic growth, the management expects further pleasing organic growth.
Anke Banaschewski
Investor Relations & Corporate Communication
presse@datagroup.de
Pliezhausen, April 25, 2024: DATAGROUP (WKN A0JC8S) is reorganizing its top management structure for the next stage of growth. Oliver Thome, member of the Management Board since October 2021 and responsible for Finance, Investor Relations and M&A, will leave the company at his own request with effect from April 30, 2024 to take on a new challenge. His responsibilities will be taken over by CEO Andreas Baresel in future. The Management Board will thus consist of Andreas Baresel and Dr Sabine Laukemann and will be supported by an extended level of divisional board members in the future. DATAGROUP is thus laying a robust and future-oriented foundation for scalable further growth and innovation.
“We regret but respect Mr Thome’s wish to leave our company. He has made a valuable contribution to the further development of DATAGROUP SE during his time at the head of the Finance, Merger & Acquisition and Investor Relations departments. I would like to thank him for this on behalf of the Supervisory Board. We wish Mr Thome all the best for his personal and professional future”, says Heinz Hilgert, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of DATAGROUP SE.
As CEO and CFO, Andreas Baresel will be responsible for Finance, M&A and Investor Relations as well as the service portfolio. Dr Sabine Laukemann will be responsible for Organization, Legal, Human Resources, Corporate Communications and ESG.
Based on a continued good order intake and strong demand for CORBOX services, DATAGROUP expects a significant growth spurt in the medium term. Moreover, the future drivers artificial intelligence, cyber security and cloud are strongly changing the IT services market. In order to be optimally positioned for this development and the related additional growth opportunities, the two Management Board members Andreas Baresel and Dr Sabine Laukemann will be supported by two divisional board members in the future.
Mark Schäfer will take over responsibility for the Production division from Andreas Baresel. He has been with DATAGROUP since 2019 and has many years of experience in IT production and service provision at T-Systems International, among others. Previously, he was Head of Group-wide IT Service Management, the central IT GRC (Governance, Risk & Compliance) and Chief Information Security Officer. As Divisional Board Member, he is now responsible for Production, IT Service Management and IT GRC. He is therefore also responsible for AI-based automation and further increasing the productivity of IT service production.
Alexandra Mülders has been with DATAGROUP since 2010 as Managing Director of one of the fastest-growing CORBOX units. She has been Head of Sales since 2023 and is responsible for DATAGROUP’s organic growth with a special focus on the full-service outsourcing product.
The implemented reorganization of the Management Board is the basis for achieving the company’s ambitious medium-term goals.
Sarah Berger-Niemann
Unternehmenskommunikation
presse@datagroup.de
Anke Banaschewski
Investor Relations
anke.banaschewski@datagroup.de
Pliezhausen, 17. January 2024. The IT service provider DATAGROUP has officially signed the ‘Diversity Charter.’ By signing, the company commits to creating a work environment that promotes and respects diversity and inclusion.
The Diversity Charter is an employer initiative that aims to foster diversity and inclusion in companies. It now has more than 4,900 supporters. By signing the Diversity Charter, companies and institutions commit to creating a work environment that is free from prejudice, where each employee is valued and respected regardless of individual characteristics.
DATAGROUP already has a work environment that attracts talents with diverse backgrounds and stands for openness and tolerance. The signing of the Diversity Charter is the company’s step to codify these lived values. The IT service provider already publishes an annual sustainability report on this matter.
“As DATAGROUP, we stand for diversity and openness. By signing the Diversity Charter, we want to reaffirm our commitment to these values,” explains Dr. Sabine Laukemann, Member of the Board responsible for Human Resources, Strategy and Organization. “As a company, we recognize the value of the diverse backgrounds, skills, and experiences of our employees – diversity is and remains a part of our success.”
Sarah Berger-Niemann
Corporate Communications
presse@datagroup.de
Pliezhausen, 1 October 2023. DATAGROUP today celebrates the company’s foundation 40 years ago. On this occasion, the nationally operating IT service provider has initiated a very special campaign for the anniversary year just started and for many years to come: Collaborating with Forst Baden-Württemberg (ForstBW), DATAGROUP will transform an area of disused woodland in the Black Forest into a “Forest of the Future” with the so-called “DATAGROUP FOREST”. For this campaign – as well as in its IT Services core business – DATAGROUP relies on the outstanding commitment of its employees and the support from customers, business partners, investors and other persons associated with the company: They can all collect points for their commitment and “good deeds” during the anniversary year. The more points they score, the more trees will be planted in the Forest of the Future in a first planting campaign. This will presumably take place in the fall of 2024 to mark the close of the anniversary year. Andreas Baresel, Chief Executive Officer of DATAGROUP: “We are just so grateful and proud of how DATAGROUP has evolved to become a “powerhouse” of the German IT service industry in the 40 years since its foundation. And this is why we wish to contribute something to society with the DATAGROUP FOREST in a joint campaign with customers, business partner, persons associated with the company and with the entire staff. The long-term “Forest of the Future” project fits our philosophy, as sustained and continued success has always and will continue to define us as a company.
The area which ForstBW plans to turn into a “Forest of the Future” with the support of DATAGROUP is situated close to Freudenstadt in the “Mittlerer Schwarzwald” forest district right in the “Hirschkopf” territory. The ground is currently covered by young, severely damaged spruce wood. In a first step, the planting area will be prepared by extracting trees that were damaged by snow, red deer and fungal decay so as to make room for the new “Forest of the Future”. At least 4,000 new trees will be planted afterwards – depending on the points collected in the anniversary campaign. Planting various tree species such as durmast oak, hornbeam, small-leaved lime, whitebeam, field maple, Norway maple, and Douglas fir, the area will be transformed into a climate-resistant mixed forest and thus into a stable ecosystem rich in deciduous trees. “With the support of DATAGROUP, this place can be turned into a climate-friendly Forest of the Future, which will also have an impact on the surrounding forests. In a figurative sense, the commitment for this special forest area also provides inspiration for the important topic of climate-proof forests, which will be created at many other places”, says Simon Stahl, Head of the “Mittlerer Schwarzwald” Forest District, ForstBW.
“We have learned from the DATAGROUP success story that stamina is needed to grow and have sustained success – this is why our commitment for the DATAGROUP FOREST in the anniversary year is just the beginning. We want to look after this area and it is our wish that the forest and the project continue to grow as a joint effort of DATAGROUP, its employees, customers, and partners as well as Forst BW”, Andreas Baresel, CEO von DATAGROUP points out. Oliver Thome, Chief Financial Officer, Investor Relations, and M&A adds: “Responsibility, the principles of partnership and sustainability are an integral part of DATAGROUP’s DNA and our relationships to our customers and investors. This becomes visible through the DATAGROUP FOREST, and it also shows that we do not only have big ambitions, but we also put them into practice.
The forest will initially “grow” virtually in the anniversary year: Employees, customers and business partners are encouraged to score with their commitment for social purposes, education and training, for environment and sustainability issues or with other “good deeds”. The goal is to reach 40,000 points, with 10 points standing for one tree in the first planting session of the DATAGROUP FOREST. The people participating in this campaign will enter their points on the forest.datagroup.de campaign website. Little by little, this website will provide an overview of all the great activities as well as a digital model of the forest that shows how many trees have already been gathered with the dedication of everyone involved.
Dr. Sabine Laukemann, Chief Human Resources Officer, Organization and Strategy at DATAGROUP: “The success of DATAGROUP has been and will always be a team effort – the 40 years of corporate history would not have been possible without our amazing employees. And because we know that we can rely on our team, they are key in our commitment for the DATAGROUP FOREST during our anniversary year. We look very much forward to hit top form in sustainability and social commitment together with them as well as our customers and partners, thus helping to grow the “Forest of the Future”.
On 1 October 1983, DATAGROUP was founded by today’s Supervisory Board member Max H.-H. Schaber and Herbert Schwarzkopf in Filderstadt-Bonlanden under the name of DATAPEC. With the focus originally directed towards software, DATAGROUP has evolved to become one of the leading German full-IT-outsourcing service providers 40 years later. In fiscal year 2021/2022, DATAGROUP reached a historic milestone by generating revenues of more than half a billion euros for the first time. Some 3,500 employees at locations across Germany today design, implement, and operate IT infrastructures and business applications for mid-market and large companies as well as public authorities.
Until today, the success story of DATAGROUP has taken many ground-breaking turns: In the 80s, the company moved from a software developer to a pan-European hardware retailer. After the margins of this industry had fallen, it developed into a software and system house. In 2001, the name “DATAGROUP” was born.
The IPO in 2006 marked a decisive step in the company’s history. After a couple of acquisitions had already taken place before, DATATROUP to date has implemented 30 company takeovers thereafter. The acquisition strategy is particularly noted for its optimal integration of new companies. DATAGROUP is actively participating in the IT service market’s consolidation process with its “buy and turn around” and its “buy and build” strategy. Additionally, the company has tapped new regions in Germany and gained valuable expertise for its portfolio, for instance in cloud technology, IT security, automation and robotics, or Artificial Intelligence, thanks to the strategic acquisitions of the past few years.
The start to the anniversary year will be celebrated with a hybrid event. The employees and their families, but also customers, business partners, and other friends of the company can watch a video stream from the DATAGROUP headquarters in Pliezhausen either live at home or in several locations. DATAGROUP founder Max H.-H. Schaber, the Management Board of DATAGROUP and representatives of ForstBW will present the “DATAGROUP FOREST” project from there. We will also take a look at the company’s history as well as its future.
Sarah Berger-Niemann
Corporate Communication
presse@datagroup.de
Pliezhausen, 27 September 2023. DATAGROUP SE (WKN A0JC8S) is a partner of the German AI Award, which will be presented for the fifth time in Berlin on 28 September. By sponsoring the German AI Award, DATAGROUP wants to actively contribute to the promotion of AI innovations and thus also underlines the importance that the use of artificial intelligence has for the company. For DATAGROUP, AI technology has the potential to make the business model even more scalable and efficient. DATAGROUP has already been working for some time on automating the production of CORBOX IT services by using AI. The goal now is to use the technology much more strategically in CORBOX IT service production to reach the next level of IT operations.
DATAGROUP has implemented the first AI applications in recent years and used them in IT service production. “Through our experience with these AI applications, we can assess the potential of this technology for IT service production very well, and see our AI strategy as a central setting for the course of our business,” says Andreas Baresel, CEO of DATAGROUP, explaining the approach.
AI technology is also useful to automate unstructured operational tasks in non-standardized areas and layers of the operated system landscapes, promising significant additional efficiency gains in day-to-day operations. The new technology addresses IT operational processes beyond the classic combination of standardization and automation.
“Our goal is to use the technology much more strategically in our own CORBOX IT service production. In this context, our AI systems are trained with human expertise to ensure that individual tasks and process steps that are still carried out manually today can be automated in the future. The AI-supported processing of such simple but unstructured tasks in the overall process saves an enormous amount of time and costs. This allows our employees to concentrate on the more complex tasks and the result for the customer,” Andreas Baresel explains the approach further.
“In addition to the increase in efficiency that the use of AI offers for our business, we also see great opportunities for human resources development. For our employees, the use of AI in IT operations opens up the opportunity to learn and work with a technology of the future,” says Dr Sabine Laukemann, DATAGROUP’s Chief Human Resources, Strategy and Organisation Officer. “This means that, on the one hand, they can hand over routine tasks to AI and concentrate on more demanding tasks. On the other hand, they have the opportunity to further develop themselves as an AI developer or AI orchestrator.”
The German AI Award is one of the most important prizes of its kind in Europe. It is awarded for outstanding scientific and entrepreneurial achievements in the field of artificial intelligence in the categories of innovation, application and start-ups.
Anke Banaschewski
Investor Relations
anke.banaschewski@datagroup.de
Pliezhausen, 5 April 2023. DATAGROUP SE (WKN A0JC8S) acquires systemzwo GmbH, a system house which is based in Ulm. This acquisition will significantly expand its market presence in the Ulm region. systemzwo GmbH is the 30th acquisition of IT service provider DATAGROUP since its IPO in 2006.
systemzwo GmbH was founded in 2007 and supports Mittelstand companies in Ulm with a current headcount of 38 employees. Its customer portfolio is a substantial addition to the existing client base of DATAGOUP in this region. The IT service provider thus continues to expand its regional presence in Ulm and strengthens its business with its CORBOX IT service portfolio. The modular CORBOX services cover the full breadth of corporate IT from data center to service desk, and the services can be flexibly combined according to the customer’s needs.
“systemzwo GmbH is a very good addition to DATAGROUP. With this company that is rooted in the Ulm region, we are excellently positioned to continue to grow in the Ulm metropolitan region. We can assist our customers on site with our CORBOX IT service portfolio, giving them a solid basis for their business, and support their digital transformation”, explains Oliver Thome, Management Board member of DATAGROUP and responsible for Finances, Investor Relations and M&A.
“I am very much looking forward to becoming a part of DATAGROUP. It allows us to offer a long-term forward-looking perspective to our employees and customers and expand our existing business with the comprehensive IT services of DATAGROUP”, explains Björn Semjan, founder and Managing Director of systemzwo GmbH, who will continue to lead the business in his role as Managing Director.
This is the 30th acquisition of IT service provider DATAGROUP since the IPO in 2006. The acquisition of companies, which are a reasonable addition to the customer base, portfolio, or regional presence of DATAGROUP has been a part of the strategy from the very beginning. Numerous successful acquisitions of the past are evidence of the well-proven approach “100 days DATAGROUP”. It enables DATAGROUP to grow quickly and develop new lines of business.
The transaction comprises 100 % of the shares in the company. systemzwo generated revenue of almost EUR 13m in the last fiscal year and will presumably be consolidated in the DATAGROUP Group with effect of 1 April 2023. The parties have agreed to keep the purchase price confidential.
Sarah Berger-Niemann
Corporate Communication
presse@datagroup.de
03.-04.05.2023
Munich Capital Markets Conference, Munich
15.-17.05.2023
Equity Forum Spring Conference, Frankfurt am Main
23.05.2023
Publication of Q2 and HY Figures
23.-24.05.2023
Berenberg European Conference, Manhattan
31.05.-01.06.2023
Quirin Champions Conference, Frankfurt am Main
24.08.2023
Publication of Q3 Figures
12.09.2023
Quirin Champions Conference, Frankfurt am Main
13.09.2023
Zürcher Kapitalmarktkonferenz, Zürich
18.09.2023
Berenberg and Goldman Sachs 12th German Corporate Conference, Munich
18.-22.09.2023
12th Baader Investment Conference, Munich
09.-10.10.2023
SME Conference, Paris
How long have you been with DATAGROUP, and how did you come to DATAGROUP?
I joined DATAGROUP in 2012 with the acquisition of the former Consinto, which I joined in 2006. Consinto was spun off from the Thales Group in 2008 and sold to a financial investor. With financial investors, the future is often uncertain, which is why we were happy to join DATAGROUP in 2012 as part of the resale.
As a German, medium-sized and owner-managed company, DATAGROUP’s DNA was a very good fit with ours.
What position do you hold today?
I have been on the Executive Board since 2018 and am responsible for delivery units and production. Before that, I was Managing Director of DATAGROUP Business Solutions and am responsible for a market unit there following a restructuring.
From the former Consinto to the management of DATAGROUP Business Solutions and now the Executive Board – how have you personally experienced and shaped change?
I am someone who enjoys change. Personalities are very different, but I need new challenges on a regular basis, and I’ve been given them at every station in my professional life. That’s what makes work exciting for me. A certain amount of continuous change suits me well.
You experienced DATAGROUP’s acquisition strategy from the perspective of the acquired company and then later from the other perspective. What sets DATAGROUP apart?
What we do significantly better than others is: We preserve the essence of companies. We follow a decentralized approach, which means that companies are largely independent units under the DATAGROUP umbrella. Accordingly, we do not integrate new companies hard into an existing, defined target organization, but incorporate them gently. We make sure that the culture remains intact and blends well with the DATAGROUP culture.
What are typical tasks in your day-to-day business?
The production department that I head was created with the aim of optimizing processes and cooperation within the DATAGROUP production model. Our production model consists of four central delivery units and local production in the market units. Among other things, we want to ensure through further optimization that our customers experience our services as from a single source.
Accordingly, the day-to-day business is very diverse and ranges from individual operational issues to large strategic projects. IT always has multiple dependencies. The technology and various processes in one unit must therefore interact seamlessly with that of another. In addition, there are the different interests of the people involved. Bringing these together is also one of my tasks. But also larger development topics and change projects, such as SQUARE.
SQUARE was a major change project. What was it all about?
With SQUARE, we transferred the DATAGROUP Business Solutions organization to the DATAGROUP model. For this purpose, we have on the one hand transferred existing delivery structures or production structures to the central delivery units, but on the other hand also created new market units with a differentiated focus. The former gave rise to DATAGROUP Operations, a merger of the former DATAGROUP Data Center and Business Solutions production units. In addition, we have fully developed DATAGROUP Inshore Services, a subsidiary of DATAGROUP Business Solutions, into a central delivery unit.
Furthermore, we have created four new market units, two with a regional focus (Munich / Bavarian area and Berlin / new federal states) and two with an industry focus: Defense IT Services with a focus on the defense industry and the new Business Solutions with a focus on the insurance and automotive industry. In addition, we have merged central departments of DATAGROUP Business Solutions, such as Finance and Human Resources, as well as IT Service Management and Governance, Risk and Compliance with existing departments within DATAGROUP SE.
What is important in such change projects?
In my experience, it is important to set a goal for changes of this magnitude, but also to be aware that you cannot foresee the entire course of such a project at the start. Many questions only arise along the way and can only be clarified along the way. Such a situation is not always easy for those involved.
Of course, people prefer to see all steps on a precisely defined path ahead of them, rather than starting with a certain amount of uncertainty, where you simply can’t answer all the questions down to the last detail. That’s why it’s important to make the people affected aware of this and then support them in dealing with such major change processes.
It is also important to actively manage this change, communicate any developments that occur and create transparency for the next steps.
What has been the biggest challenge in your career so far?
I find it hard to say what the one biggest challenge was. Looking back, big challenges for me were when there was organizational change with a certain level of complexity. Along the way, you usually realize that there are always surprises and things don’t always turn out the way you thought. Dealing with new insights here, finding solutions again and again, and at the same time sticking to the basic idea of change and pushing it forward, despite all the difficulties, is a very rewarding challenge.
What was the biggest change you experienced?
Looking back, it’s always the last changes you’ve experienced that seem particularly big. But SQUARE was clearly one of the biggest changes I’ve helped to shape, as we took an organization that had grown over many years, developed it so fundamentally, and moved it into a new target structure.
IT is constantly changing. What are you doing on the Managing Board to ensure that DATAGROUP remains adaptable in order to keep up with these changes?
What we are doing very intensively at the moment is investing in change competencies within our company. Because the only thing that remains the same is constant change. We can’t say today what changes will accompany us in the future, but we can already work on the ability to deal with change. We invest a lot in that.
In the course of the SQUARE project, for example, we implemented change agents, facilitators of change on the same level as colleagues. We would like to transfer this concept to DATAGROUP as a whole and thus try to develop an organization that can deal well with the changes that the dynamic IT industry brings with it.
What IT trends do you think will change society in the future?
IT will be in more and more products, services and everyday things, so that we will encounter what IT is all about everywhere. In the course of this, I believe that we will get used to it and learn to live with the new challenges. We will have to deal more and more with issues such as security and the handling of data. In products or situations where I didn’t have to worry about it in the past, we are increasingly confronted with these questions: Who has what data and how is it processed? How do I make sure I stay in control?
If we look back at the things that didn’t even exist ten years ago and the changes that have taken place, we can see that this will continue in the future.
DATAGROUP in five years – where will the journey take the company?
I believe that we as humans always realize what is technologically possible. However, technology develops so dynamically that there is always a gap between what is technologically possible and what companies or individuals are able to do in order to use these technologies perfectly. DATAGROUP builds the bridge here, today and in the future. The services may be different in the future, but you will always need experienced service providers like us to close the gap between what is possible and what is available.
What is your conclusion on the subject of change?
If you deal openly and proactively with the topic of change and the relevant skills are taught more strongly in the organization, then change is definitely something that can be positive and exciting, and can also help you move forward. Approaching change with the right attitude, willingness and skills, and consciously experiencing change is important. Then, despite change, you can look to the future with confidence, knowing that you can deal with that change and take advantage of new opportunities and possibilities.
Andreas Baresel, Member of Executive Board, responsible for Delivery Units and Production. Studied business administration, management positions focusing on business development and portfolio development in IT consulting and managed IT services.
Around 140,000 people in Germany are dependent on sign language interpreters. But interpreters are not always available. Marius Martin and Michael Darmstadt, graduates of the dual degree program in business informatics at Mainz University of Applied Sciences, wanted to find out whether it was possible to create a sign recognition system suitable for everyday use. The goal was that no extra hardware should be necessary for its use and that the system should allow fluent communication between deaf and hearing people with the help of technical support. Marius and Michael therefore researched a sign recognition system using a simple webcam and neural network. This was a challenge because sign language is complex and, like other languages, differs from country to country and region to region.
The practical orientation and the application of cutting-edge technologies convinced the University Council of the Mainz University of Applied Sciences, which awarded the work a prize. The prototype forms a good basis for further work in the field, which in the future could lead to an interpreter in your pocket that enables easy communication.
From DATAGROUP, Marius received special hardware with which neural networks can be trained, because not every standard computer has the necessary computing power. After graduation, he continues to work at DATAGROUP and is currently employed in the Media division as a consultant and software developer. “The dual study program at DATAGROUP gave me the opportunity to combine theory with practice,” explains Marius. “That’s exactly how we approached our final thesis. It’s nice that I was supported in this at DATAGROUP and still am today when I want to develop further and familiarize myself with new areas.”
