In our eco-member interview, Thomas Pfützenreuther, Managing Director at iAP – Independent Consulting + Audit Professionals, explains what is important as an IT Assurance Partner and the role regulatory compliance plays today.
Mr Pfützenreuther, please briefly explain what iAP-Independent Consulting + Audit Professionals does and what industry/sector your customers come from. What requirements do your customers bring to you?
We offer specialised consulting and auditing services in the field of IT security and compliance. Our customers come from a variety of sectors, including financial services, healthcare, technology and manufacturing. They approach us with requirements ranging from ensuring regulatory compliance (e.g. ISAE 3402, SOC 2, BSI C5) to initialising and optimising their internal control systems. Many of our customers need support in meeting international and national security standards to ensure business continuity and protect their reputation.
What trends do you see in the IT security and governance industry that could influence the future of your services?
In the IT security and governance industry, we see a clear trend towards ever-increasing regulation and compliance requirements, especially in connection with the use of cloud services. In addition, automation in governance is becoming more significant to efficiently identify and manage risks. The protection of data in an increasingly connected world is also becoming more and more critical, leading to more audits and certifications focused specifically on data security through effective control systems.
Which trends and technologies do you see as being particularly decisive for the further development of Germany as a digital location in the coming years?
Artificial intelligence (AI), cloud technologies and hybrid IT landscapes are key drivers for the further development of Germany as a digital location. These technologies not only create new business models, but also significantly optimise existing processes. However, they bring increasing security and compliance requirements that cannot be overlooked. The expansion of digital infrastructure, especially 5G technology, is also crucial to ensure the necessary bandwidth and speed for these developments. For us at iAP, this means that we must proactively adapt our audit and certification services to the ever-changing requirements of digital transformation. We aim to ensure that certifications contribute to efficiency for our customers and enable them to fully leverage the benefits of these technologies while meeting high security standards.
What opportunities does digitalisation offer us in the future?
Digitalisation opens up significant opportunities to increase efficiency, reduce costs and create new business models. Through the strategic use of digital technologies, we can not only optimise our audit and certification processes, but also develop tailored solutions that specifically address the individual compliance requirements and security concerns of our customers.
This not only increases productivity, but also promotes innovation. In addition, digitalisation enables improved connectivity, stronger customer relationships and access to global markets, which is crucial for the competitiveness of companies.
How did you come to the decision to become an eco member? How do you expect your membership of the eco Association to support you in your work?
The decision to become a member of the eco Association arose from the desire to actively participate in the exchange about the future of the digital economy in Germany. We see membership as a valuable opportunity to make contacts and contribute our expertise to relevant discussions. As part of the SECURANCE Group, we offer strong national and international expertise in the fields of cybersecurity, compliance reporting and consulting. We expect that our membership in the eco Association will enable us to engage in lively dialogue, discuss trends at an early stage and share best practices so that we can always offer our customers up-to-date and relevant solutions.
Thank you very much, Mr Pfützenreuther!
