Employee interview 03/2025: Karsten Hoermann (Director Managed Service)

The interview series with employees of the dataglobal Group

How long have you been working for the dataglobal Group?

I started at dataglobal GmbH on June 1, 2009 as a Senior Consultant.

What core services do we offer?

We offer data center operation services at the levels of infrastructure, operating systems, network, user management, data management, containers/cybernetes, databases and SAP Basis.

The ITIL service management processes and roles form the basis for our services.

We deliver all phases of the managed service from conception, takeover/transition, operation to the return of the services.

How do you guarantee the security and compliance of managed services?

In the two very important areas of security and compliance, we plan, manage and monitor the following measures on an ongoing basis:

1. safety measures

✅ Network security:

• Firewalls, IDS/IPS (Intrusion Detection & Prevention Systems)
• VPNs & Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA)
• Segmentation to minimize the attack surface

✅ Data and access protection:

• Encryption
• Multi-factor authentication (MFA)
• Least privilege principle for users and services

✅ Security Monitoring & Incident Response:

• SIEM (Security Information and Event Management) for the detection of anomalies
• 24/7 Security Operations Center (SOC)
• Automated response mechanisms for incidents

✅ Patching & vulnerability management:

• Regular updates & patching cycles
• Vulnerability scans and penetration tests

2. compliance & regulatory requirements

✅ Standards & certifications:

• TISAX, ITIL
• Data protection law such as DSGVO

✅ Audits & documentation:

• Regular internal & external audits
• Logging and traceability of all security-relevant actions

✅ Data storage & backup strategies:

• Georedundant backups with regular recovery tests
• Retention policies for compliance with legal requirements

How do you ensure that our services are continuously improved and adapted to customer requirements?

We divide the continuous improvement and adaptation of our services to customer requirements into the following three areas of action:

1. ITSM & Continuous Service Improvement (CSI)

✅ ITIL-based service optimization

• Regular service reviews to identify improvements
• Problem and incident analyses to eliminate causes
• Service level management to ensure customer satisfaction

✅ Measurement & KPIs

• SLA (Service Level Agreements) for checking service quality
• KPIs such as response time, resolution time
• Monitoring of system performance and availability

2. customer-centric customization

✅ Direct customer feedback & surveys

• Regular feedback meetings with customers

✅ Adaptation to business requirements

• Flexibility in scaling services according to demand

3. automation & increased efficiency

✅ Automatic scaling & resource management

• Use of cloud technologies for dynamic scaling
• Optimizing the use of resources for cost and energy efficiency

What challenges do you face on a day-to-day basis when providing managed services?

We face the following challenges with the associated solutions in Managed Service:

1. security & compliance challenges

🔴 Ensuring data security

• Sensitive customer data must be protected against cyber attacks.
• Solution: Encryption, zero-trust models, regular penetration tests.

🔴 Compliance with regulatory requirements

• Various compliance requirements (GDPR, TISAX, ISO 27001, etc.) must be met.
• Solution: Automated compliance checks, audits, documentation.

🔴 Recognizing and responding to security incidents

• Cyber threats are constantly evolving.
• Solution: SIEM systems, 24/7 monitoring, incident response plans.

2. technical challenges

🔴 Integration into existing customer infrastructures

• Heterogeneous IT landscapes with different systems and technologies.
• Solution: API-supported integrations, standardized interfaces.

🔴 Service availability & performance problems

• Customers expect high availability and fast response times.
• Solution: Load balancing, high-availability architectures, automatic scaling.

🔴 Regular updates & patching without interrupting operations

• Critical updates must be installed without disrupting operations.
• Solution: Maintenance window, rolling updates

3. organizational & customer-related challenges

🔴 Expectation management & SLA compliance

• Customers often have high availability and response time requirements.
• Solution: Clear communication, realistic SLAs, regular service reviews.

🔴 Fast response to customer requirements

• Change requests or new features should often be implemented immediately.
• Solution: Agile methods, change management, DevOps practices.

🔴 Lack of qualified specialists

• IT experts are often hard to find.
• Solution: Automation, training, nearshore concepts

What qualifications are particularly important for successful work in the field of managed services?

A combination of technical skills, process understanding and soft skills is crucial for successful work in the field of managed services:

1. technical qualifications

✅ IT infrastructure & network technology

• Knowledge of Windows & Linux servers, virtualization (VMware, Hyper-V)
• Network technologies such as VPN, firewalls, load balancing, DNS, TCP/IP

✅ Automation

• Scripting with PowerShell, Bash or Python for automation
• Infrastructure as Code (IaC), for example with Ansible

✅ Security & compliance knowledge

• ISO 27001, GDPR, TISAX for data protection & security
• Security tools such as SIEM, IDS/IPS, MFA

✅ ITSM & Service Management

• ITIL certification (Foundation level is often sufficient)
• Experience with incident, problem & change management processes
• Security policies & audit logging in MOVEit

2. process & management skills

✅ Monitoring & Troubleshooting

• Ability to quickly identify and solve problems
• Tools such as Nagios, PRTG, Splunk, Grafana for performance monitoring

✅ Project & customer management

• Ability to understand and implement customer requirements
• Experience with SLA management & customer communication

✅ IT compliance & documentation

• Experience with audits & reporting
• Ability for structured documentation & process optimization

3. soft skills & mindset

✅ Analytical thinking & problem-solving skills

• Ability to systematically solve complex technical problems

✅ Customer orientation & strong communication skills

• Important characteristic for dealing with customers and internal teams

✅ Flexibility & willingness to learn

• IT is constantly evolving – continuous learning is a must

✅ Ability to work in a team & stress resistance

• Managed services are often time-critical – working calmly under pressure is important

How is the cooperation with colleagues in the Managed Services team and in the entire Group?

A working world in which people can work easily and on the move from anywhere in the world – safely, efficiently and conveniently. This vision is what drives us.

WHAT do we do? Strengthening companies with intelligent software and service solutions

WHY are we doing this? Connect, Collaborate, Protect

HOW do we do that? Simple, intuitive and intelligent – process-oriented and shirt-sleeved

Thank you very much for the interview, Karsten!

Apply now to the dataglobal Group

Are you interested in becoming part of the dataglobal Group and working with us to realize the vision of the Digital Workplace for our customers? We are always on the lookout for new talent, whether in software development or in other areas such as sales, consulting, etc.

Take a look at our current vacancies and see if there is a suitable position for you. We look forward to hearing from you!