The integration layer powering DATEV’s IT transformation

DATEV eG is one of Germany’s leading software and IT service providers for tax advisors, auditors, lawyers, and businesses. Founded in 1966, the cooperative serves more than 1.000.000 customers and employs around 9,000 people. Headquartered in Nuremberg, Germany, DATEV operates through a nationwide network of 22 branch offices.

DATEV provides software, cloud services, and digital solutions that support accounting, payroll, taxation, business management, and compliance processes. As a cooperative organization, DATEV is committed to enabling secure, reliable, and efficient digital business processes while supporting the long-term success of its members and customers.

As part of its IT strategy, DATEV is transforming its application and service landscape, from a traditional data center model focused on internally managed systems to a cloud-native environment combined with external SaaS solutions. This shift raised a fundamental question: how do you connect systems across fundamentally different technology environments while ensuring consistent and reliable data exchange? As DATEV evolves toward a hybrid landscape a cloud-native environment and third-party SaaS applications, integration becomes a key requirement.

To support this transformation, DATEV required an integration platform aligned with its IT and API strategy, supporting self-hosting, data control, and a low-code approach for business teams. Existing solutions did not meet these requirements.

To support its vision, DATEV selected IBM to implement a new integration platform based on IBM App Connect Enterprise. The platform was designed to align with DATEV’s IT landscape and API strategy while meeting key requirements such as self-hosting for data control and security.

IBM App Connect Enterprise provides the foundation for developing and running integrations across DATEV’s systems, while App Connect Designer enables a low-code approach for creating integrations. This supports DATEV’s objective of allowing business teams to develop directly.

IBM API Connect serves as the central control, management, and governance layer for inbound communication, acting as a major cornerstone within DATEV’s IT architecture. In addition, HashiCorp Vault is integrated as the internal solution for managing credentials and secrets, ensuring secure handling of sensitive data and seamless integration with the platform.

Deployed within DATEV’s private data center, the integration platform fits into the broader architecture and connects systems across the traditional data center, the cloud-native environment, and third-party SaaS services. This establishes the integration layer as a core, strategic component of DATEV’s IT architecture. Furthermore, IBM Development implemented additional DATEV critical requirements, including 14 new product features, to ensure the perfect fit of the platform to the customer needs.

By extending its integration platform, DATEV enabled support for additional backend and SaaS systems, including Adobe, MS Dynamics, Azure and Entra ID. The platform implements capabilities such as OAuth credential handling and Kafka transaction support, aligning with evolving integration requirements.

The use of out-of-the-box connectors, combined with the ability to develop custom connectors, provides flexibility in connecting a wide range of systems. By establishing a standardized integration layer, the platform replaces siloed, point-to-point integrations,. The introduction of reusable patterns and blueprints supports consistent implementation of new capabilities across the platform.

With these enhancements in place, DATEV can continue to extend its platform and onboard additional systems and teams in a structured and scalable way.

DATEV eG is a German software and IT services cooperative founded in 1966 and headquartered in Nuremberg. It provides software, cloud services and digital solutions for accounting, payroll, taxation, business management and compliance, serving more than 1,000,000 customers.