From EDP to IT – 40 Years of the ISO-Gruppe from Nuremberg

The ISO-Gruppe was founded on 26 October 1979, as an "engineering office for software development and organizational consulting". In other words, at a time when computers were still an exception rather than the rule, even for businesses. The ISO-Gruppe witnessed the rise of the PC, the beginnings of the World Wide Web, the ever-increasing digitalization across all industries and walks of life, and the launch of the Internet of Things. The ISO-Gruppe was always able to provide suitable impulses.

The founders of a company were Harald Goeb and Walter Eder, who started the company in Munich. In 1981, the location in Nuremberg followed – for Harald Goeb a return to his native Franconia. The main reason was the network of business contacts in the Nuremberg metropolitan region. From 1996 to 2005, additional locations were established in Frankfurt am Main, Berlin, Vienna, Montréal and Częstochowa.

Cornerstones of the Business

The company, then renamed to ISO Software Systeme, continued to expand: ISO Travel Solutions was added in 2003, ISO Professional Services in 2007 and most recently ISO Recruiting Consultants in 2013. These cornerstones of the group are active across various industries, including automation, aviation, data quality, medical technology, public administration, SAP, tourism, IT personnel services and many more. The numerous mainstays ensure the long-term success of the ISO-Gruppe and are an essential component of the risk management.

Our customers are companies of all kinds – from regional to global. Airport Nuremberg, Siemens or Landis+Gyr, as well as public authorities such as the German Federal Employment Agency, rely on software and services from the ISO-Gruppe. ISO Software Systeme recently initiated the ISO-Konsortium, an association of currently 20 medium-sized German IT companies. The aim of this cooperation is to jointly solve complex tasks and projects in the IT market.

From Punch Card to App

In line with the growing demands of the markets and the dynamic development of technologies, the working methods have also changed. At first, software engineers worked on mainframes until workstations were increasingly used. Software development has also undergone major methodological changes: from structured programming and object-oriented approaches to agile methods such as Scrum and Kanban. While software development was initially dominated by only a few programming languages, the ISO-Gruppe today uses a range of technologies in its customer projects for implementing solutions using various environments – edge, on-premise, and cloud.

In 2018, the ISO-Gruppe achieved a turnover of 57.3 million euros and is expected to reach 70 million in 2019. Throughout its history, the group’s finances have always been in the black. Even in economically turbulent times, the number of employees remained constant. By now, the ISO-Gruppe has more 560 employees – resulting in a strong social responsibility for the owner-managed and completely self-financed group of companies.

The personal commitment of the owner and the constant strive for organic growth has not gone unnoticed in the professional world. Whether Top 100 of German medium-sized companies, Fair Company, FOCUS-Business Growth Champion and Top Personnel Service Provider – over the years the ISO-Gruppe and its companies have received various awards.

The only Constant in Life is Change

Co-founder and managing director Harald Goeb is optimistic about the future: “Thanks to my son Moritz and my son-in-law Claus Bogner, the next generation already bears decisive leadership responsibility. Established on the Management Board, they have been actively shaping the future of the ISO-Gruppe for years. We can also rely on the board members Christoph Hartz and Johannes Reichel, who have been loyal members of the company for more than 25 years”.

“My career at ISO began during my studies in computer science,” explains Moritz Goeb. “This gave me the chance to get to know the company from the ground up – from the first tourism projects to the latest product development of our Airport Suite. I’ve since become a member of the Management Board, where I continue to perform tasks such as setting up and supporting important and strategic projects. Our employees, partners and customers can rely on us to continue the path we have chosen, true to our corporate philosophy: lasting, innovative, reliable.”