When Data Listens – And Customers Feel Seen
Interview with Rainer Holler, Managing Director of VIER GmbH
While tech giants from the USA dominate the AI market, a German company focuses on data sovereignty and European values. VIER GmbH from Hannover has been automating customer dialogues for over 30 years and has realigned their strategy following the ChatGPT boom. Managing Director Rainer Holler explains why German companies do not need 'locusts' and how AI agents will soon completely change our everyday lives.
Rainer Holler laughs when he thinks about the weekly emails. Various renowned investors are contacting him. They all want to get involved with VIER GmbH. The inquiries have become so numerous that he simply can't keep up. But Rainer Holler and company founder Olav Vier gen. Strawe have a clear stance: 'No locusts come in here.' The Hanover-based company remains in German hands and consciously focuses on data sovereignty—a unique selling point in times of American tech dominance. VIER GmbH, named after its founder Olav Vier gen. Strawe, has a turbulent history. Founded in 1994, the company has evolved from a classic provider of telephone conferences to one of the leading providers of cloud solutions for customer dialogue. Today, VIER employs over 200 people and through targeted acquisitions—such as parlamind, voiXen, Lindenbaum, and Cognesys—it has amassed extensive expertise in voice technology, speech recognition, and artificial intelligence.
The ChatGPT Moment as a Turning Point
Rainer Holler describes November 30, 2022, as a milestone for his company. On this date, ChatGPT was made publicly available. 'This was a confirmation of our AI strategy and at the same time a wake-up call,' explains the managing director. VIER had been engaged in AI since 2014, but the ChatGPT boom required a realignment of strategy towards Generative AI. Whereas earlier chatbots could only deliver blunt programmed responses, modern AI systems can understand complex issues and conduct full conversations with customers.
From Routine to Intelligence
The business model of VIER is based on a simple yet effective principle: identify and automate the most common customer contacts. 'For example, at a credit bank, 80% of calls are simple balance inquiries,' reports Rainer Holler. Such routine processes can be easily automated. But VIER goes further. The company develops systems that not only automate but also intelligently support human employees. 'For example, if a customer calls about a package that has not arrived, the AI collects all relevant information from various systems during the conversation. The service employee receives real-time data about the customer, such as his order history of 1,700 EUR, and decides that a pair of jeans not delivered and worth 39 EUR should just be sent again,' describes Rainer Holler the capabilities. The customer feels well-served – the foundation of a positive customer experience.
German Cloud as an Advantage
In times of geopolitical tensions, VIER's focus on German data storage becomes a competitive advantage. 'We even sent Trump as our best sales representative to the White House,' jokes Rainer Holler. The new American government and its tech policy have led European companies to increasingly look for alternatives to American cloud providers. The company operates its own cloud infrastructure in German data centers and meets the highest security standards. All data is pseudonymized before being processed by AI systems – 'Rainer Holler, Hannover' becomes 'Max Meyer, Bielefeld'. This keeps the context understandable for AI, while personal data remains protected. After processing, de-pseudonymization happens automatically.
Industries without Borders
VIER's customer base is remarkably diverse. From the driving instructor who wants to automate her appointment scheduling to the DAX corporation – the range spans from two-person businesses to companies with 20,000 employees. 'Every company has customer dialogues,' explains Rainer Holler about the universal applicability of his solutions.
Culture as a Key to Success
Corporate culture is not just an addition for the former DAX CIO but a key to success. After his move from a large corporation to VIER, he introduced informal addressing and developed six corporate values with the team: Ubuntu – 'I am because we are' – is central to them. 'As a small company, we compete with the big corporations. They have more staff, more money. But we have to run our own race – and we will win it,' explains Rainer Holler his philosophy. The values range from ownership and transparency to customer enthusiasm. The result: A renewal rate of 98% with existing contracts.
The Vision: The Autonomous Agent
Rainer Holler is convinced that he 'belongs to the last generation of CEOs who only lead people'. His vision: In a few years, customers will speak into their smartphones and say, 'I need a light blue jeans' – the rest will be fully automated. 'Autonomous agents are the future of service work,' he explains. In this, VIER leverages the strengths of both sides: AI for efficiency, human for empathy.
Meet VIER Personally
VIER welcomes interested parties on Thursday, June 26, 2025, at the Hannover Congress Centrum (HCC) at the 'VIER Unlimited Communication' and demonstrates on site how to get started with AI into the future of intelligent customer service. It also addresses structural and cultural problems, data security, and employee acceptance. Participation in the event is free.
Information and registration are available at https://www.vier.ai/unternehmen/events/unlimited-communication/