Studo App receives TÜV certificate for software quality and data security

In February 2023, the Studo App was certified again by TÜV SÜD. As in the previous year, the functionality was thoroughly checked according to ISO/IEC 25051:2014 and the software quality of the Studo App was confirmed. In an expert report, TÜV SÜD also confirms that the recognised requirements for data protection and data security are met (basis are articles 25 and 32 GDPR and the IT basic protection compendium of the BSI).

What is TÜV SÜD?

TÜVs (German abbreviation for: Technical Inspection Agency) are international independent service companies in Germany and Austria that test, inspect and certify technical systems. TÜV SÜD is located in the southern part of Germany as well as in Austria. It is highly regarded for the quality of its inspections in all German-speaking countries.

If a software solution is tested positively, it may bear the software test mark by TÜV SÜD. After this, further inspections must be carried out annually by the company awarded the test mark and TÜV SÜD

Studo receives software test mark

The Studo team has always had the highest standards when it comes to the quality and security of the Studo App. This is reflected on the one hand in Studo's values and corporate philosophy, and on the other hand in the desire to have the Studo App continuously tested by external testing authorities. Over the course of the last three months, the Studo App has now been thoroughly tested by TÜV SÜD. The result:

Studo App meets the recognised requirements for software quality with regard to functionality (ISO/IEC 25051:2014). The audit of the underlying quality system (development and maintenance processes as well as quality management based on ISO 9001) did not reveal any objections.

"The certification process was unproblematic, fast and efficient," says cooperation manager Christoph Sonnenschein, who was in charge of certifying the Studo App, "even before we contacted TÜV, we fulfilled all the criteria for successful certification. For TÜV, it was a matter of documenting this in detail and underpinning the functioning of the processes with case studies. The audit confirmed this: The processes all run on the latest state of software development - both in terms of functionality and security. In addition, the requirements for data protection and data security were also confirmed."

Why did we conduct an external review of the Studo App?

We decided upon TÜV SÜD as an independent, external testing agency because a TÜV certification of an app creates trust among students and universities alike. The aim was also to make the work easier for university partners, explains Sonnenschein: "In many conversations with universities, we have found that it is very time-consuming for IT and data protection officers to check new projects promptly and thoroughly. There was therefore a wish to involve an independent external audit for quick decision-making. TÜV as a renowned and independent institution fills this gap and creates trust on both sides."

The certificate is intended to underline Studo's high standards in terms of technology and security, its ambitions and expertise. On the other hand, students and universities can rely on Studo's full compliance with these standards.
For the developers of the Studo App and the whole Studo team, the certification proves what they have been working on for the last few years, says Sonnenschein: "It proves that the Studo App is a secure and technologically high-quality product. It's wonderful to get this confirmed once again in cooperation with external software experts." In future, the Studo App will be checked annually by TÜV SÜD and further optimized on the basis of the feedback.