STEP

What STEP does

STEP Computer- und Datentechnik GmbH is a privately held German IT system house founded in 1986 and headquartered in Lörrach, with secondary offices in Schönau (Germany) and Basel, Switzerland (STEP Business Solutions AG). It provides managed IT services, IT consulting, infrastructure implementation, IT support, and custom software development to small and medium-sized businesses, Mittelstand companies, public administration, and educational institutions across the Dreiländereck (Germany/Switzerland/France border) region. Core offerings are organized around a managed services portfolio (Managed Firewall, Antivirus, Cloudbackup, Secure Mail, WLAN, Client, Mail Archive) plus a bundled Managed Service All-In subscription, built on partner technologies from Microsoft (Gold Partner), VMware, Cisco Meraki, HP, Ubiquiti, ESET, Veeam, and AWS. Additional capabilities include HCI implementation, virtualization, telephony (STARFACE, Swyx), Modern Workplace with Microsoft 365, NIS2 compliance advisory, Virtual CIO services, and bespoke software development using platforms such as United Planet Intrexx and SoftENGINE BüroWARE. STEP employs over 35 qualified staff and operates a direct field-sales and consulting-led go-to-market, reaching customers through three regional offices, a partner network (iTeam, ploon.it group), and channels including its blog, newsletter, webinars, and regional trade shows. Pricing is quote-based with managed services on annual or monthly subscription billing; revenue is not publicly disclosed. In April 2026, founder Jonathan Gorenflo stepped down and was succeeded by a three-person co-CEO team (Mira McGowran, Andreas Hurt, Dirk Sperrle), and the company became part of the ploon.it group network of IT specialists.

Name

STEP

Legal name

STEP Computer- und Datentechnik GmbH

Website

https://stepnet.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

STEP is a privately held German IT system house founded in 1986, providing managed IT services, consulting, infrastructure, and custom software development to SMBs, Mittelstand, public administration, and schools across the Germany–Switzerland–France Dreiländereck region from offices in Lörrach, Schönau, and Basel.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Managed IT Services

NAICS

Computer Systems Design and Related Services (54151), Custom Computer Programming Services (541511)

SIC

Services-Computer Integrated Systems Design (7373), Services-Computer Programming Services (7371)

akta.pro primary industry

ITIL/ITSM Process Consulting & Implementation (BPAEAJAB)

Keywords

• Managed IT services
• IT consulting services
• Network security solutions
• Cloud infrastructure services
• Custom software development

Headquarters

HQ city

Lörrach

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Managed Services: Recurring revenue from managed IT services including Managed Firewall, Antivirus, Cloudbackup, Secure Mail, WLAN, Client Management, and Mail Archive. Services are subscription-based with continuous monitoring, proactive maintenance, and support.
2. IT Consulting and Strategy: Professional services revenue from IT strategy consulting, IT-Strategy, Modern Workplace implementation, Virtueller CIO services, and cybersecurity advisory including NIS2 compliance
3. IT Infrastructure Sales and Setup: Revenue from sale, installation, and configuration of IT infrastructure including networking equipment (Cisco Meraki, Ubiquiti), servers (VMware ESX, HP servers), clients, and telecommunications systems
4. Software Development: Custom software development services for SMEs and Mittelstand companies, including individual applications, intranets, web applications, and automation solutions for office workflows
5. IT Support Services: Professional IT support services for businesses, public administration, and SMEs with proactive support and forward-looking development of IT systems

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

STEP is an IT system house providing managed IT services, IT consulting, IT infrastructure setup, IT support, and custom software development for SMBs and Mittelstand companies. The company delivers subscription-based managed services (Managed Firewall, Antivirus, Cloudbackup, Secure Mail, WLAN, Client, Mailarchiv) along with an All-In managed package, plus consulting-led offerings covering IT strategy, Virtual CIO, Modern Workplace with Microsoft 365, and NIS2 compliance advisory.

Product overview

STEP is an IT system house offering a comprehensive portfolio of managed services and IT solutions. The core offering consists of STEP Managed Services covering antivirus, client management, cloud backup, firewall, secure email, mail archiving, and WLAN (Managed Antivirus, Managed Client, Managed Cloudbackup, Managed Firewall, Managed Secure Mail, Managed Mailarchiv, Managed WLAN), combined with Managed Service All-In for complete outsourcing. Supporting services include IT Consulting (IT strategy, virtual CIO, modern workplace), IT Infrastructure (network, virtualization, security, telephony), IT Support, and Software Development. The company operates as a regional IT partner in the Dreiländereck (Germany-Switzerland-France border region) with over 35 employees serving SMEs and mid-market businesses since 1986.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Managed Service All-In
• STEP Managed Firewall
• STEP Managed Antivirus
• STEP Managed Cloudbackup
• STEP Managed Secure Mail
• STEP Managed WLAN
• STEP Managed Client
• STEP Managed Mailarchiv
• IT Consulting Services
• IT-Infrastruktur Services
• IT-Support
• Software-Entwicklung

Quantifiable outcome

• 93.6% customer satisfaction for professional appearance and punctuality
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration10 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• ploon.it groupcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026STEP is part of the ploon.it group, a strong network of IT specialists. This partnership allows STEP to expand competencies, utilize additional resources, and develop innovative solutions together with other IT specialists. The partnership provides a stable foundation for continued growth.
• iTeam-PartnerminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSTEP operates as an iTeam partner, distributing IT products and services including TERRA hardware and solutions to customers in the regional market.
• MicrosoftcoreTechnology or IntegrationSTEP is a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner with extensive certifications and reference projects. They implement Microsoft 365, Teams, Office solutions, and Azure services for customers.
• VMwarecoreTechnology or IntegrationSTEP is a certified VMware Professional Solution Provider specializing in ESX server virtualization solutions. They implement and manage VMware-based virtualization environments for customers.
• Cisco MerakicoreTechnology or IntegrationSTEP is a certified Cisco Meraki partner providing cloud-managed enterprise networks including WLAN, switches, and security appliances.
• Stiegeler Internet Service GmbHminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerSTEP worked with Stiegeler Internet Service GmbH to implement the network connection between SLG Kunststoff's new Buggingen facility and their headquarters in Bernau.
• IHK Hochrhein-BodenseeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSTEP cooperates with IHK Hochrhein-Bodensee to offer certified network administrator courses leading to IHK qualification.
• VHS LörrachminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSTEP partners with VHS Lörrach to offer network administrator training courses with certified completion.
• Sirius document solutionsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSTEP collaborates with Sirius document solutions (since 1980) for document management and integrated IT solutions. They co-exhibit at trade shows like Regio Messe.
• BVMW (Bundesverband mittelständige Wirtschaft)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerSTEP is a supporting partner of BVMW and hosts events like BVMW Unternehmer-Lounge.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• SVA System Vertrieb Alexander GmbH: German IT system house of comparable size and Mittelstand focus, delivering managed services, infrastructure, and IT consulting — directly overlapping STEP's regional SMB/Mittelstand value proposition.

Broad incumbents

• Bechtle AG: One of Europe's largest IT system houses with a full managed services, infrastructure, and software portfolio; overlaps STEP's offerings but operates on a vastly larger national/international scale.
• Allgeier SE: German-headquartered IT services group covering managed services, infrastructure, and software development across multiple verticals; broader portfolio than STEP but with comparable Mittelstand exposure.
• Cancom SE: Major DACH managed services and cloud provider serving mid-market and enterprise with multi-cloud, workplace, and managed service offerings that overlap STEP's Microsoft/cloud-centric stack.
• msg systems AG: German IT consulting and software house serving insurance, banking, and public sector with managed services and custom development; larger but overlapping in Mittelstand IT consulting.
• Avanade (Accenture + Microsoft joint venture): Large Microsoft-focused services firm with deep Microsoft 365 and Azure managed service capabilities — overlapping with STEP's Modern Workplace and Microsoft Gold-partner-led offerings at much larger scale.

Regional players

• Globe Computing (Globe Group): Swiss IT services provider with comparable portfolio (managed services, cloud, infrastructure) and regional mid-market presence analogous to STEP's Switzerland arm in Basel.
• ROI Management Consulting AG: Munich-based IT consulting firm with managed services for Mittelstand, comparable in scale and customer profile to STEP's consulting-led regional practice.

Emerging players

• ibrocom GmbH: Smaller regional German IT system house with managed services and Microsoft 365 focus comparable to STEP's local Mittelstand offering.

Others

• ploon IT group: Parent network of IT specialists that STEP joined in 2026; the broader network's portfolio of partner firms provides direct comparables for STEP's service scope within its own alliance.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Step.Computer.und.Datentechnik.GmbH
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/step-computer--und-datentechnik-gmbh

Compliance9 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about STEP