Neckarsulm, 18 October 2018 – Solutions to master the digital transformation will be on display over 200 square metres occupied by Bechtle at the Smart Country Convention in Berlin’s CityCube conference centre. Over three days, from 20 to 22 November 2018, visitors will have the opportunity to dive deep into the digital future of the public sector. The new event is organised by the Bitkom digital association together with Messe Berlin. With a dedicated business unit, Bechtle has a finger on the pulse of the specific requirements of government organisations and institutions. More than 2,000 employees cater to the needs of public-sector customers across Europe, generating 1 bn euros in revenues for the first time in 2017.
Under its motto, “Digitise Public Services!”, the Smart Country Convention will show how digital processes can help save resources and increase efficiency to create a streamlined and transparent administration that benefits all citizens. A hybrid congress, workshop, expo and networking event, the convention is aimed at actors in public administration, politics, the digital economy, associations and the science community. Bechtle’s attendance is headlined: Your Technology Partner – Excel. Empower. Innovate. “Bechtle has been an enabler for public clients for many years, delivering advanced IT solutions to boost digital readiness. The Smart Country Convention is a great platform for us to present our digital transformation concepts, share our experiences and discuss innovative ideas with stakeholders in the public sector. Central action points will be the modernisation of underlying technologies, creating more agile processes, transforming security, and in particular, boosting digital prowess”, says Steven Handgrätinger, head of Bechtle AG’s public sector division.
Over 2,000 employees in 14 European countries are working every day to manage and answer public tenders. Since its founding in 2004, the public sector division has been growing consistently and in December 2017 smashed the revenue mark of 1bn euros. “From our vantage point, we see many public clients taking critical steps to tackle digitalisation. They are creating modern and flexible workplaces, digitalising services, and leveraging modern cloud structures. As a capable technology partner, we support our customers every step of the way, working with them as we build advanced IT architectures with the actual needs of citizens in mind. Our IT business architects are driving the process, offering in-depth consulting from analysing existing IT landscapes to planning long-term strategies,” explains Gerhard Marz, Bechtle’s Executive Vice President for the Public Sector.
Bechtle counts among its clients large national and regional agencies, but also schools, municipal administrations, associations, and welfare organisations in many European countries. “Our public-sector unit looks back on an impressive development and enjoys an excellent footing on the market and our combination of centrally pooled expertise with local support provided by regional systems integrators and international e-commerce branches is one of a kind. But at the heart of our success are the people working at Bechtle,” says Mr Marz.
“Digitalisation in the public sector constitutes a market of more than 50 bn euros in Germany alone. With the Smart Country Convention, we have created the first independent platform for integrated solutions and business models.”
Dr Christian Göke, CEO of Messe Berlin
“We demonstrate solutions to digitalise public administration and services in the areas of citizen services, public security, energy, mobility, utilities and waste management, housing, healthcare and education. Germany is well aware of its digital challenges, but lagging behind in terms of doing something about them. We aim to change this with the Smart Country Convention.”
Achim Berg, president of the Bitkom digital association