The computer industry reached its peak in the early 1980s: first, the Commodore C64 took households by storm; then the IBM PC was launched; and later, the Apple Macintosh set new standards with its graphical user interface. At that time – more precisely, at the end of November 1980 – Dr Winfried Materna and Helmut an de Meulen founded their IT company in Dortmund, now known as Materna Information & Communications SE. Materna started out as a two-man business. Today, more than 2,300 employees worldwide work for the group, which specialises in IT and digitalisation projects. Its offices are spread across Germany, Europe and more than half the globe.
In this anniversary year, Materna considers itself well-positioned as a group with its portfolio. Key areas include the cloud, cyber security, the Internet of Things (IoT), the automation of IT processes, artificial intelligence and data analytics, as well as innovative digitalisation projects in the public sector. “Thanks to our portfolio, we have been among the leading IT consultancy firms in Germany for many years now, and we believe we are well positioned to operate successfully in the market in the years to come,” explain Martin Wibbe, CEO, and Michael Knopp, CFO, of the Materna Group. “We wish our founders continued good health and hope they will remain on the Supervisory Board for many years to come, contributing their entrepreneurial spirit and experience,” says the Executive Board.
The group also comprises the subsidiaries agineo GmbH, cbs Corporate Business Solutions GmbH, Infora GmbH, Materna IPS GmbH and Materna TMT GmbH, which round off Materna’s overall portfolio with their specialised services. Some of the subsidiaries are also celebrating anniversaries this year: cbs has been in existence for 25 years, Infora for 40 years and Materna TMT for 15 years.
A look back at 40 years of Materna’s history
When the company was founded, Dr Winfried Materna and Helmut an de Meulen were still working at the University of Dortmund. The Department of Computer Science at what is now TU Dortmund University has existed since the late 1960s. “The first commissions involved setting up computer networks for the then-existing firms Nixdorf and Siemens, and a project for the University of Hamburg,” explain Dr Winfried Materna and Helmut an de Meulen, founders and now members of the supervisory board. At that time, their company was still operating under the name Dr Materna GmbH. In the early years, it was mainly students who were employed as freelancers.
In the 1990s, the IT sector continued to flourish: PCs were taking offices by storm on a massive scale and needed to be managed professionally. Clients from the business and public sectors relied on Materna’s various solutions. Materna expanded beyond its locations in Germany and was now also present in Northern and Eastern Europe. In the late 1990s, the highly successful business in mobile value-added services was launched, including gateway services for sending SMS messages between mobile network operators’ networks. Indeed, the 2000s were characterised by the rise of mobile devices. Materna, too, very successfully developed and marketed a comprehensive portfolio of solutions in the mobile communications sector.
In the decade since 2010, the cloud has been the defining element, alongside technologies such as artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things. These and other technologies are increasingly transforming people’s lives. IT is no longer just a topic for tech enthusiasts, but has become part of everyday life. In recent years, Materna has established itself as a consultancy and implementation partner for digitalisation projects. Topics such as automation, service management and security are high on the agenda for clients in both the private sector and public administration. Materna offers tailor-made solutions in these areas and supports its clients’ transformation processes. At both federal and state level, Materna has also been supporting public administration in numerous digitalisation projects for decades and is one of Germany’s leading consultancy firms.
In 2015, after 35 years, the founders stepped back from day-to-day operations. “Materna will remain a family-owned business in the future,” say the founders. To this end, shares in the company were transferred to their children several years ago. Today, Dr Winfried Materna and Helmut an de Meulen sit on the supervisory board and guide the executive board team.
“We are very pleased with the group’s performance in recent years, and particularly in this anniversary year,” say the company’s founders, Dr Winfried Materna and Helmut an de Meulen.
