The administrative application planned by Digital Minister Karsten Wildberger (CDU) is experiencing significant delays compared to its original schedule. This has been reported by the German business newspaper “Handelsblatt,” citing local authorities currently testing the “Deutschland-App” in a pilot phase and other individuals knowledgeable about the project. The initial pilot operation across all participating municipalities was originally slated to begin in mid-September, but the start date for the app’s full regulatory operation remains uncertain.
Wildberger confirmed the delay to the “Handelsblatt,” stating that while the first prototypes exist and are being tested in various municipalities, they are not yet in regular operational use. He attributed the delay to rising expectations. Following what he called “the first reached milestones,” the requirements for the application were increased. Ultimately, the app is intended to automate complex administrative procedures in the long term.
According to information obtained by the “Handelsblatt” from ministerial circles, the project will initially focus on three to four administrative procedures that can be more quickly linked to the “register modernization” process, allowing them to become fully digitized within the app. Further complications include the varying quality of existing online documents and the disparate IT systems and digitalization levels among the individual municipalities. T-Systems, a subsidiary of Deutsche Telekom, and SAP were commissioned to develop the first prototype. In response to the “Handelsblatt,” Deutsche Telekom directed inquiries regarding the project to the Digital Ministry as the responsible client.
