Highlights from the video interview with André Vogt, Spokesman for the Executive Board, and Jens Brettschneider, Division Head.
Application management was long considered an “invisible” IT discipline: keeping systems stable, handling tickets, and preventing outages. But that view no longer suffices today. Modern companies expect more: not just stability, but also speed, the ability to innovate, and a deep understanding of their business processes.
That is exactly what André Vogt, spokesperson for the Executive Board, and Jens Brettschneider, Head of the Application Management Division, discussed in a video interview in November 2025.
The interview explains why application management is a strategic success factor today and why specialized partners are playing an increasingly important role in this area.
From a Traditional Business to a Strategic Enabler
It becomes clear early on in the conversation that modern operations and support services have little to do with purely IT operations based on the “keep the lights on” principle.
Instead, application management teams today support applications throughout their entire lifecycle—from implementation, through stable operation, to continuous development and optimization. This is no longer just about servers and databases, but about business processes, line-of-business applications, and the ability to integrate technological changes into existing workflows quickly and reliably.
It is particularly evident in specialized fields such as data analytics and document logistics just how important in-depth technical expertise has become. Today, companies are no longer looking for anonymous outsourcing arrangements, but rather for partners who truly understand their processes.
Why Companies Are Increasingly Relying on External Specialists
A key topic of the interview is the growing shortage of skilled workers in the IT sector. Many companies are facing the same challenges in this regard:
- Experienced employees are retiring.
- Valuable expertise is being lost.
- Requirements for availability and response times are increasing.
- At the same time, the pressure to innovate is growing.
Today, modern application management means much more than just improving efficiency or optimizing costs. Above all, companies are looking for reliable partners who can ease their operational burden while also supporting their own value creation.
According to Jens Brettschneider, there are four key aspects that customers focus on today:
- Reliability
- specific professional competencies
- flexible service models
- A partner who takes both operations and further development into account
AI, the Cloud, and DevOps Are Transforming Application Management
The conversation becomes particularly interesting when we look at technological developments.
Cloud platforms, AI services, and hybrid architectures are transforming IT landscapes much more rapidly today than they were just a few years ago. Applications are becoming more dynamic, and integrations are growing more complex. Technological change is becoming the new normal.
The real challenge of modern IT today lies less in individual technologies than in how they interact: applications, cloud services, AI components, and business processes must be effectively coordinated. This requires experts who not only understand individual systems but can also manage complex IT landscapes holistically.
The topic of DevOpsWhat is DevOps? The term DevOps is a combination of the words… More also plays an important role here: operations and development are becoming increasingly intertwined. The goal is to design applications from the outset in such a way that they can be operated reliably while also being flexibly developed further.
In the full interview, André Vogt and Jens Brettschneider explain how this trend is playing out in practice and what role AI will play in the future.
Why Modern Application Management Is More Than Just Outsourcing
Another interesting aspect of the discussion is the question of why companies choose to work with an external partner in the first place.
The answer lies not so much in standardization as in collaborative, tailored partnerships. Today, companies no longer expect anonymous, one-size-fits-all services; instead, they seek partners who truly understand their applications, processes, and business requirements.
The following factors, in particular, play a decisive role:
- Customized models for Service Level Agreements (SLA)Service Level Agreements (SLA) between an IT service provider and a customer… More
- transparent processes
- personal collaboration
- a deep understanding of line-of-business applications
This combination of specialization and collaborative partnerships sets modern application management apart from traditional outsourcing approaches.
A Look into the Future
A look into the future shows that application management is becoming more strategic and technology-driven. At the same time, it is moving closer to the business units. Among other things, this involves:
- the increasing integration of AI into business processes
- the ongoing transformation of IT organizations
- international service structures
- the acquisition of entire business units, including their employees.
AI, automation, and cloud technologies, in particular, are increasing not only the speed but also the complexity of modern IT landscapes. This is precisely why specialized partners with a comprehensive understanding of technology and processes are becoming increasingly important.
Watch the full video interview now
What role will AI and automation really play in the future?
Why is specialization becoming increasingly important?
And how is the collaboration between IT service providers and business units changing?
André Vogt and Jens Brettschneider answer these questions in the full video interview.
WE'D BE HAPPY TO ADVISE YOU
Jens Brettschneider
Head of Business Unit
Application Management
jens.brettschneider@isr.de
+49(0)151 422 05 425
