IT service provider relies on proven technology for the secure digital exchange of business documents

DATEV acquires a majority stake in the network specialist b4value.net GmbH. The Nuremberg-based IT service provider DATEV sees b4value.net's expertise and technology as an excellent opportunity to expand its activities relating to the secure transmission of business documents and data with the technological basis of a specialised network. The transfer of shares will take place in two steps. In the first step, DATEV Beteiligungen GmbH, a wholly-owned subsidiary of DATEV eG, will acquire a qualified majority of 75 per cent with economic effect from 1 January 2024. The agreement stipulates that DATEV Beteiligungen GmbH will acquire the remaining 25 per cent after three years and that DATEV will be the sole shareholder. The parties have agreed not to disclose the purchase price.

Setting the course with proven technology

For DATEV, acquiring a share of b4value.net GmbH is an investment in the future requirements of digitally transformed companies. The IT service provider intends to benefit from b4value.net's infrastructure, particularly concerning the development of mandatory e-invoicing in Germany and the reporting obligation for tax-relevant invoice data that is expected at a later point in time. With the TRAFFIQX® network, b4value.net operates an established and proven platform for secure electronic document and data exchange in Europe. 

"Currently, there is a great deal of momentum in the market around future-proof processes for distributing electronic business and invoice data. As a cooperative of tax consultants, auditors and lawyers, it is our task to integrate these professions into the emerging data cycles from the outset to provide the best possible support for their work for SMEs in the future," says DATEV CEO Prof Dr Robert Mayr. "b4value.net and the TRAFFIQX® network are at the technological forefront of this development and will be a valuable addition for us in this task." 

"Cost savings and process optimisation are the benefits of well-done digitalisation - it also saves resources. Our aim has always been to make these benefits accessible to all companies. As small and medium-sized enterprises make up the lion's share across Europe, we are delighted that DATEV is investing in the TRAFFIQX® network as an expert for this target group. This strengthens the digitisation rate for all market participants," says Dieter Keller, Managing Director of b4value.net GmbH. 

b4value.net remains an independent market participant 

Even after the majority takeover by DATEV, b4value.net will continue to offer its own service portfolio as a legally independent company. The co-operative DATEV, known for its economic stability and reliability, also stands for the long-term existence and reliability of b4value.net and the TRAFFIQX® network. b4value.net will make the TRAFFIQX® network available to interested market participants without restriction, even after completing the transaction. The acquisition of the shares will also not change anything for the customers, network partners, or employees of b4value.net.

DATEV and b4value.net have been working together on the basis of trust for many years. The IT service provider is part of the TRAFFIQX® network with its DATEV SmartTransfer service. In the future, DATEV also intends to utilise b4value.net's infrastructure and technology to establish itself as the technical operator of a platform to exchange business documents and data securely. Both companies share the same values regarding reliability, confidentiality, data protection, and IT security.