A12 FAQ

The term Low Code, or Low Code Platform, was coined in 2014 by the market research firm Forrester. It refers to development platforms that minimize the use of manual code through graphical and model-based methods. The goal is to accelerate software development and make it accessible to non-developers as well.

A12 existed as a model-based architectural approach before the term Low Code was even introduced. We nonetheless refer to A12 as a Low Code Platform because this term accurately captures the core idea — less code, more model — and is well established across the industry.

Low Code is a term for approaches that have been practiced in similar forms for decades — most notably Model-Driven Engineering (MDE). A12 is built on MDE principles: business objects, forms, workflows, and application structures are defined as models and interpreted at runtime. This enables business analysts to create and maintain professional applications without any programming knowledge.

There are significant differences among the Low Code approaches available today. Some vendors offer platforms as closed, cloud-based products. Others provide open, extensible systems designed for enterprise software development.

We define an Enterprise Low Code Platform as a fit-for-purpose approach that combines a range of development options — from pure modeling to full programmatic extension. The result: faster development, lower costs, and at the same time the quality, robustness, and scalability that enterprise applications demand.

A12 is a platform for developing enterprise applications in complex IT landscapes. It is based on model-driven software development and enables teams to build powerful, secure, and maintainable applications efficiently.

A12 consists of two core areas:

• A12 Modeling Environment: Tools that allow parts of an application to be created and maintained over the long term as independent business logic modules — without any programming knowledge.

• A12 Runtime Platform: Modular client- and server-side components in a modern enterprise architecture — with full support for custom code, DevOps, and security. Developers work in their familiar environments: both in the integrated Modeling Environment and in standard IDEs.

A12 stands for "Alliance 2012." Originally, A12 was an mgm initiative for cross-project collaboration. That initiative eventually gave rise to what is now known as the A12 AI Low Code Platform.

A12 is aimed at mid-sized and large enterprises as well as public sector organizations that require custom software. A12 is particularly well suited for:

• Business Analysts / Domain Experts: Create and maintain application logic through modeling — no programming knowledge required.

• Developers: Work with the Runtime Platform with full control and a modern technology stack (TypeScript/React/Redux, Java/Spring Boot).

• DevOps Teams: Standardized deployment processes with Docker, Helm, Kubernetes, and Jenkins pipelines.

• IT Decision-Makers: Reduced TCO, digital sovereignty through Open Source, and a proven track record in mission-critical environments.

A12 can be used to develop highly scalable, secure, and robust web applications. The particular strengths of the model-driven approach come into their own in four key scenarios:

• Complex custom software: eGovernment portals, public sector specialist applications, insurance platforms, enterprise portals.

• Core platform for integrated IT landscapes: Consolidation and modernization of the IT landscape on a unified architecture.

• Replacement of Excel/Access applications: Migration to an open platform, including automated migration tooling.

• Software product development: A proven foundation for long-lived software products with faster time-to-market.

A12 combines a Low Code approach — enabling business experts to build applications without programming knowledge — with a fully open and extensible system for developers.

A12 is not focused on point-and-click apps for temporary use. A12 addresses the requirements of long-lived, mission-critical software:

• No closed SaaS platform: A12 runs on your own infrastructure, not in a vendor cloud.

• No vendor lock-in: Open platform architecture, available as Open Source under EUPL 1.2.

• Full developer control: Fine-grained extension points rather than limited customization options.

• True enterprise grade: Built for complex, mission-critical applications in regulated environments.

• Separation of data and UI models: Greater flexibility and reusability compared to GUI-builder approaches.

Yes. A12 is a developer-oriented Low Code Platform from Germany, built by mgm technology partners GmbH, headquartered in Munich. As a German company, mgm operates under German and EU law — and is therefore subject to neither the US CLOUD Act (Clarifying Lawful Overseas Use of Data Act) nor the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA). When operated in sovereign environments, A12 applications offer full digital sovereignty — an aspect that is becoming increasingly important in the context of AI-assisted development.

A12 was developed in close collaboration with public sector organizations and is built with digital sovereignty as a core principle:

• Models are stored as open JSON structures — transparent, portable, and Git-versioned

• No vendor lock-in: open technology stack, all artifacts remain fully under the control of your own organization

• Open Source under EUPL 1.2, available from May 27, 2026 on openCode.de and GitHub

A12 offers six core advantages for enterprise projects:

1) Open Source: A12 is built on open-source principles and is released under EUPL 1.2 — providing complete transparency, auditability, and independence from any single vendor. The Community Edition is freely available on GitHub and openCode.de. The Enterprise Edition includes additional components and SLA-backed support.

2) Digital Sovereignty: With A12, organizations retain full control over their digital core — encompassing architecture, data, and operations. Built on open standards and European principles, the platform prevents vendor lock-in. As a German software company, mgm operates exclusively under German and EU law, not under the US CLOUD Act or FISA. Combined with a sovereign cloud environment, A12 applications — as software Made in Germany — deliver maximum digital sovereignty. The platform's long-lived and adaptable architecture ensures that mission-critical systems remain controllable and evolvable for years to come.

3) Open Platform Architecture: A12 is an open, modular platform that grows with your enterprise landscape. Open APIs and standards enable deep integration and targeted extension. While business models remain stable, technical evolution happens at the platform level — reducing reimplementation effort and technical debt.

4) More Than Low Code: A12 goes beyond pure Low Code: security, privacy, quality assurance, accessibility, and deployment governance are built directly into the platform — quality and compliance by default. A clear separation of responsibilities between business and IT improves collaboration and leads to more robust, long-term maintainable systems.

5) Deterministic AI Framework: A12 enables the combination of AI capabilities with model-driven software development, keeping AI transparent, controlled, and enterprise-safe. AI operates on explicit domain models in which business logic is cleanly separated from technical implementation. Decisions remain traceable and auditable. Governance and control stay with the team — rather than being handed off to opaque automation.

6) A Complete Development Ecosystem: A12 provides an end-to-end development and delivery ecosystem: from modeling and implementation through to operations, monitoring, and quality assurance (Q12 Quality Landscape), all components are designed to work together. Domain experts can actively contribute to domain modeling while IT teams work in their familiar environments and retain architectural control. This shared language reduces friction and increases delivery speed.

The use of Low Code can deliver significant speed advantages in software development. Model-driven approaches enable requirements to be implemented considerably faster. In typical A12 projects, customers report meaningful productivity gains compared to conventional development.

A12 is designed as an open system that offers maximum flexibility for long-term maintenance and further development. With its release as Open Source under EUPL 1.2, the platform is freely available. Thanks to the open architecture, all artifacts — models, configurations, scripts — are fully owned by the contracting organization and can be further developed by other teams without any restrictions.

A12 is used in custom software development projects — referred to as A12 projects. The goal of such a project is to develop a tailored application built on the A12 AI Low Code Platform. A typical A12 project involves an interdisciplinary team of business analysts, developers, and DevOps specialists.

An A12 project still requires a complete development environment and professional project management. The key difference: a large share of the business logic is implemented through modeling — by business analysts, not developers. This saves time, improves quality, and enables faster feedback cycles.

At the same time, A12 provides essential building blocks for development as well: quality-assured software components, a widget set tailored to the demands of complex, accessible applications, and clearly defined extension points for targeted extension of A12 functionality.

Since the Open Source release on May 27, 2026, the Community Edition (EUPL 1.2) has been freely available on openCode.de and GitHub. For enterprise projects requiring support, SLAs, and extended functionality, an Enterprise Subscription & Support model is available. The central entry point for all A12 resources is the GetA12 portal (geta12.com). Interested parties can reach out to hello.A12@mgm-tp.com.

Once an A12 application has been created as part of a project, the department can largely maintain and further develop it on its own using the modeling tools — provided the team has received training in A12 modeling.

Collaboration between client and contractor is a key success factor in A12 projects. Several collaboration models are available:

A12 supports the concept of the citizen developer: domain experts can actively participate in development or independently create applications — without any programming knowledge. The modeling tools enable the following activities without writing code:

• Content modeling (static and dynamic web pages)

• Data modeling, forms, domain-specific validation and calculation rules

• Print templates and document layouts

• Workflow modeling (approvals, four-eyes principle, notifications, escalation)

• Configuration of UI structures and navigation structures

In one large tax administration system, the specialist department independently manages over 300,000 fields and more than 150,000 calculation rules — entirely without programming knowledge and without any domain-level access by mgm. In another project, more than 30 people from over six ministries were trained in A12 modeling to replace more than 100 legacy Microsoft Access applications with A12 web applications.

The Simple Model Editor (SME) brings together all of A12's modeling functionality. This web-based tool makes it easy to manage all A12 models — both in the tree view of a workspace and in a dedicated editor for each model type. The SME supports multiple modeling views, context-sensitive help, and direct feedback on modeling errors.
‍

New in 2025.06: The SME includes an experimental AI prototype that automatically generates initial Document Models from provided PDFs. Learn more on the user portal GetA12.
‍

In addition, the A12 Cloud Modeling Environment offers a fully browser-based version of the modeling environment — with no local installation required.

A current overview of all model types can be found in our user portal GetA12:

The current modeling scope covers all domain-related content and portions of the user interface. Using the data, UI, and output models, business analysts can build the majority of an application without any programming knowledge.

More information is available in the A12 documentation:

Yes. The A12 Business Professional Services team offers training in the use of the modeling tools. The training is designed for domain experts and business analysts without programming knowledge and is available in several formats: as an in-person workshop, as online training, or as self-study materials.

Yes, reuse is supported for all model types. It is most common with A12 data models. Data models can be referenced and extended within other data models, which increases the consistency and maintainability of data structures.

New in 2025.06: Combination Modeling (Additive, Selection, and Decoration Models) enables advanced model composition — models can now be combined additively, restricted selectively, or extended decoratively.

Business Scripting is an experimental TypeScript-based capability for business analysts to implement complex business logic beyond what modeling alone can express. With an API for A12 operations tailored to the needs of business analysts, Business Scripting enables the automation of business processes without requiring deep programming expertise.

A12 follows the principle of Security by Design. Security requirements are addressed from the outset to minimize potential vulnerabilities. The approach includes regular security audits, penetration testing, and the integration of security tools into the build and deployment process.

A12 backend Docker images are secure by default: trusted base image (eclipse-temurin:17-jre-jammy), no root processes, no shell access, read-only file systems, no SSH keys, minimal installed packages.

The specific security measures required must be defined individually according to each project's requirements. A12 provides comprehensive security features for this purpose:

• Authentication: OIDC (recommended, Keycloak as IdP), SAML, mTLS, API key. JWT-based request authentication (CSRF protection).

• Authorization: RBAC (Role-Based Access Control) and ABAC (Attribute-Based Access Control).

• Data encryption: TLS/HTTPS for all connections, encryption of sensitive data in the database.

For ongoing security throughout the development process, mgm relies on ATLAS — an internal security toolset that integrates tools such as OWASP Dependency Check, ZAP, and static code analysis into the build and deployment process, and enables automated responses to security events.

Yes. The A12 software development lifecycle (SDLC) already takes into account the requirements of building block CON.8 Software Development. The relevant requirements must be updated during the development phase of the application built on A12. In addition, the requirements for operations (OPS building block) must be observed. mgm has extensive experience successfully implementing the stringent requirements of the IT-Grundschutz building blocks — both as a supplier and as an operator.

A12 Plasma is a design system developed by mgm specifically for business applications. It consists of UI/UX components, design guidelines, and patterns for building consistent and accessible web applications.

Unlike generic design systems, Plasma also accounts for the extended functionality required in business applications: complex forms, editable tables, bulk operations, multi-step workflows, and more.

A12 uses dedicated UI models for designing the user interface. These models also follow the principle of separating technology from content: they define the structure and behavior of the user interface without prescribing specific implementation details.

Yes, the A12 platform is designed for building accessible web applications. Numerous UI components — including forms, tables, and navigation structures — meet WCAG 2.1 AA requirements. The Print Engine generates accessible PDFs in accordance with the PDF/UA standard.

Yes, A12 is designed for building responsive, device-agnostic web applications that deliver a first-class user experience on desktop, tablet, and smartphone. Native mobile apps (iOS/Android) are not currently supported.

A12 offers officially supported themes — Default, Compact, Flat, and Flat-Compact — tailored specifically to the requirements of business applications. Custom themes can be created via SCSS customization.

For mission-critical software, it is essential that sensitive data is stored in a trusted, secure environment and that smooth operations are guaranteed. A12 offers the following deployment options:

• On-premises operation in your own data center (classic or Kubernetes)

• Operation in mgm's private cloud, hosted in a data center in Germany

• Cloud operation with any cloud provider (technically as the client's Kubernetes environment)

Together with public IT service providers, standardized operating models for A12-based applications in public data centers are already being established. Depending on project requirements, dedicated or shared environments are available — for example, to address tenant separation, data isolation, and varying protection needs.

Yes, A12 applications are designed by default for deployment on Kubernetes clusters. Drawing on experience from several large-scale software projects, we have integrated a selection of tools from the Kubernetes ecosystem: Helm charts for application deployment, Jenkins pipelines for CI/CD, and Prometheus/Grafana for monitoring.

A12 applications do not run out of the box on Red Hat OpenShift clusters, but can be operated in such environments through configuration adjustments.

A12 supports two approaches to tenant separation:

• Separate instances: Dedicated database, user management, and configuration per tenant — physical separation via Kubernetes namespaces. Example: cloud platforms for municipal applications across multiple German federal states.

• Granular access control: RBAC and ABAC permission rules within a shared instance. Example: state-specific variants of a shared application portal with separate user management and third-party system integrations per federal state.

Yes. A12 supports IPv6 via Kubernetes dual-stack configuration.

Yes, A12 has a modular architecture and is divided into distinct components. The breakdown of A12 components is technically motivated. Each component has a clearly defined scope of responsibility and well-defined interfaces through which it communicates with other components.

An overview of all components can be found in the A12 documentation on our user portal GetA12:

A12 was officially released as open source on May 27, 2026. A12 is available on openCode.de and GitHub under the EUPL 1.2 (Community Edition).

A12 has proven itself over the years in security-critical, highly complex government applications — including in tax administration, the insurance sector, and public administration across multiple German federal states. The open-source release is a logical next step toward strengthening digital sovereignty.

The A12 source code is available under the EUPL 1.2 (Community Edition) on openCode and GitHub.

A12 uses a dual-license model:

• Community Edition: Licensed under EUPL 1.2 (European Union Public License, Version 1.2) — for anyone who wants to use A12 freely.

• Enterprise Subscription & Support: Proprietary license for customers with specific enterprise requirements (replacing the previous "A12 Terms of Use").

The EUPL (European Union Public License) is an open-source license created and maintained by the European Commission. It is the first European Free/Open Source Software license and promotes the reuse of software in public administration.

With this release, mgm is taking a clear stance in support of digital sovereignty in Germany and Europe, and backing the German government's strategy to promote open-source solutions and open standards in the public sector (e.g., Deutschland-Stack).

The release marks a milestone for digital sovereignty in Germany. The broad availability enables public institutions to use A12 without licensing costs and to actively contribute to the platform's development.

The choice of EUPL 1.2 offers concrete advantages for public administration:

• As a German product, A12 is subject to German and EU law — not the US CLOUD Act or FISA. Whether this sovereignty extends to the full operation of an A12 application depends on the customer's own decisions: organizations that integrate a European AI solution and run it on a European hosting provider can achieve an end-to-end sovereign solution. A12 creates the foundation for this — but does not mandate a specific AI provider or operating environment.

• The open-source release supports the German government's efforts to advance digital sovereignty through open-source solutions and open standards (Deutschland-Stack).

• Models are stored as open JSON structures and configurable artifacts in open formats such as YAML — transparent, versionable in Git, and fully owned by the client.

• A12 is published on openCode.de — the German open-source platform for public administration.

Nothing changes for the time being. Existing projects can continue to operate under the proprietary license. That said, a migration to the open-source license can be evaluated upon request. The open-source release is a natural evolution toward digital sovereignty and enables new projects to use A12 free of charge.

A12 is publicly accessible as an open-source project on GitHub and the GDPR-compliant platform openCode. A community forum based on Discourse is available for exchange. External code contributions are not yet possible — the necessary infrastructure (guidelines, review processes, quality standards) is currently being established. Updates will be published on the A12 blog.

The A12 source code is freely available and can be viewed, used, and further developed. The A12 community can report issues, provide feedback, and engage via Discourse. The process for accepting direct code contributions is currently being prepared — including contribution guidelines, review processes, and quality assurance standards appropriate for an enterprise platform of this scale.

Yes. As the A12 AI Low Code Platform, A12 is built from the ground up for AI-assisted development — without fixed built-in AI models, but with maximum flexibility in model selection. The Enterprise Edition includes A12 AI Tooling, which provides proven tools for integrating LLMs. mgm addresses AI both in the development context — for agentic coding and agentic modeling — and at the level of A12 applications that can be equipped with AI capabilities.

"Controlled AI integration" is mgm's guiding principle for the use of AI:

• AI is used within a controlled, secure framework

• Generative and agent-based AI can be used effectively and responsibly

• Quality assurance, security testing, and build and deployment processes form the control framework

• No uncontrolled "vibe coding" development in mission-critical contexts

A12 Claude Plugin Marketplace: The A12 Claude Plugin Marketplace is the central way to provide and use AI capabilities within the organization. It is available to Enterprise Edition customers and includes a Public Marketplace with specialized plugins — separately for modelers and developers:

For modelers:

• Modeling Agents: AI agents assist with creating and maintaining A12 models, from individual changes to coordinated, multi-model workflows.

• Model Checker: Tools for quality assurance and validation of A12 models.

For developers:

• Development Skills: Specialized skills with targeted knowledge and instructions for AI agents in the development context.

For both:

• A12 Knowledge MCP (Model Context Protocol): Structured access for AI agents to platform knowledge, project artifacts, and documentation — version-specific and development-relevant.

Since the AI offering is evolving rapidly, we recommend always checking the documentation at geta12.com for the latest information.

A12 provides an AI agent framework specifically designed for the execution of AI workflows. AI workflows are standalone, versionable services. The framework is available to Enterprise Edition customers. Examples of ready-to-use agents include:

• Automatic creation of A12 models from PDF forms

• Excel mapping and data transformation

• PDF generation and document creation

• Jira ticket creation

• Interface integration with external specialist systems

A structural advantage of A12: when creating A12 models, the full power of LLMs can be leveraged, while model interpreters and generators ensure deterministic execution at runtime.

The Q12 Quality Landscape is mgm technology partners' comprehensive QA ecosystem for the entire software lifecycle. It brings together specialized tools and services that can be seamlessly integrated into existing development workflows — from test case creation and acceptance testing to reporting and security testing.

Q12 covers functional and non-functional testing, including accessibility, security, performance, and load behavior. The tools are used by mgm itself in A12 projects and are continuously developed. Individual products can be used independently or as a complete package.
More information on Q12 Quality Landscape: 

In addition to the tools, mgm offers the following QA services:

• Testing as a Service: Test execution by experienced mgm experts. Confidential handling of information, extensive testing experience, and efficient processes.

• QA Expert Support: Consulting based on decades of expertise. Building client-owned teams from the ground up and providing temporary support for existing processes.

Q12 is deeply integrated into the A12 development lifecycle:

• Modeling: Q12-TDS validates data models as early as the modeling phase.

• Development: Q12-ATA generates test code directly from A12 models; code quality tools (Checkstyle, OpenRewrite, ESLint & Prettier) ensure code quality.

• CI/CD: Q12-ATLAS automatically scans for security vulnerabilities in the Jenkins pipeline; Q12-PERL checks performance and load.

• Release: Q12-TMT documents test cases and acceptance results for the release process.

End-to-end tests have run on Playwright since 2025.06 (60%+ faster locally, 37–57% faster in CI compared to the previous Cypress setup).

Yes. Q12 includes both manual testing (Q12-TMT) and automated testing (Q12-QFT) for accessibility. The tests are based on international criteria such as the European standard EN 301 549 and the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG 2.1 AAA). This complements the accessibility features already built into the A12 Plasma UI components.

Since the open-source release on May 27, 2026, the A12 Community Edition (EUPL 1.2) has been freely available on openCode.de and GitHub. The central entry point for all A12 resources is the GetA12 portal (geta12.com), where you'll find installation packages for the A12 modeling environment, the complete platform documentation, and links to key resources such as the Discourse community forum and the artifact repository.

For getting started technically, an A12 Project Template with environment setup documentation is available. Business users will find dedicated modeling documentation and the A12 Installer for the local modeling environment.

The complete platform documentation — for developers and modelers alike — is available at docs.geta12.com. The A12 Showcases and the A12 Widget Showcase offer interactive insights into the platform's capabilities. The A12 Whitepaper provides a concise overview of the architecture and positioning.

Key resources at a glance:

The A12 Professional Services Team is the central point of contact for all questions related to A12. The team combines platform development, project experience, and partner management, and consists of subject matter and technical experts depending on the focus area.

Support offerings include:

• Documentation: Modeling and developer documentation for all users of the A12 platform

• Community forum (Discourse): Open platform for sharing questions, answers, and best practices around A12 (discourse.geta12.com)

• A12 Support Portal: Structured submission of requests, bug reports, training needs, and feedback for partners

• Jira access: For mgm projects, project-specific Jira access is available for submitting requirements and bug reports

• Enterprise Subscription & Support: Individual SLAs and extended support for enterprise projects

Yes. The Discourse community forum at discourse.geta12.com is open to all A12 users. It's a place to ask questions, share knowledge, and find information about the platform and projects.

Yes. The A12 Professional Services Team offers training for a variety of audiences. Subject matter experts and business analysts without programming backgrounds can access training specifically tailored to the modeling tools — available as in-person workshops, online courses, or self-study materials. Developers also have access to dedicated training in frontend, backend, and full-stack development. A complete overview of all available training options can be found here:

Yes. In addition to mgm technology partners as the platform vendor, there is a growing partner ecosystem of IT consulting firms, system integrators, and public IT service providers that enables independent consulting, development, and operations of A12 projects.

The partner ecosystem also serves as a safeguard against vendor lock-in: multiple partners are capable of independently developing and operating A12 projects — without relying on mgm.

A12 is continuously developed by mgm technology partners. New versions are released on a regular release cycle. Each major version is supported as an LTS release (Long Term Support) for at least two years.

The complete version history with changelogs and dependencies is available at geta12.com. Each version includes updates for all platform components — from Kernel Language and Data Services to the engines (Form, Overview, Tree), the Simple Model Editor, and the Print Engine.

The Cloud Modeling Environment (CME) is an upcoming extension of the A12 modeling tools. CME enables collaborative modeling directly in the browser — without a local installation. It is particularly well-suited for distributed teams and citizen developer scenarios where business departments need to work on models regardless of location.

A12 is explicitly anchored as a low-code platform in the OZG Cloud System Architecture 2026. Existing integrations include central authentication services, mailbox and delivery services (e.g., FIT-Connect), and payment providers. The technical foundation is built on open standards: BPMN 2.0, REST/JSON, SAML/OAuth 2.0/OIDC.

mgm expects A12 to be formally incorporated into the Deutschland-Stack in the medium term.

Yes. As part of the open-source strategy, a library of reusable components for common administrative procedures is planned and will be made available on openCode.de. The Marktplatz Deutschland Digital is intended as the central distribution channel. The goal is to accelerate the development of specialist applications by enabling proven model building blocks and reference implementations to be reused across projects.

A12 offers proven migration paths for a variety of source scenarios. Automated migration tools are available for replacing legacy Microsoft Access applications — in one state-level project, over 100 applications were successfully migrated using this approach. Migration from Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central to A12 has also been implemented in practice, scalable to approximately 3,000 clients.

The A12 Community Edition is available free of charge under the EUPL 1.2 — on openCode.de and GitHub.

For enterprise projects, mgm offers an A12 Enterprise Subscription & Support model. This includes an A12 Development License for the development phase (usable by the client's own team or development partners) as well as an annual subscription for production operations — scaling based on production environments, application instances, and application users. Dev/test environments are free of charge. End-user access by citizens is included in the Enterprise model.

Information on licensing options, edition comparison, and pricing is available directly from the A12 sales team:

The Community Edition (EUPL 1.2, free of charge) includes the complete platform core, modeling tools, client and server runtimes, and the developer toolchain — everything needed to develop production-ready enterprise applications.

The Enterprise Edition extends the Community Edition with additional proprietary-licensed components, including: A12 AI Services, A12 AI Extensions, Cluster Deployment, Notification Center, and further components available upon request. The Enterprise Edition is available exclusively through an A12 Enterprise Subscription & Support agreement. For a detailed overview of available Enterprise components and licensing terms, we recommend reaching out directly to the A12 licensing team: a12-license@mgm-tp.com

A12 takes into account the requirements of BSI IT-Grundschutz building block CON.8 (Software Development) and provides a dedicated security guide for project-specific measures. As a German product, the platform is subject to German and EU law and is not subject to the US CLOUD Act or FISA.

Accessibility is supported in accordance with WCAG 2.1 and the European standard EN 301 549. The Print Engine generates accessible PDFs in accordance with the PDF/UA standard.

A12 is continuously updated to meet current regulatory requirements. The compliance roadmap includes: BFSG/EAA (Barrierefreiheitsstärkungsgesetz / European Accessibility Act), ISO 27001, DIN SPEC 66336, FIM standards, and BSI IT-Grundschutz. For operations, the mgm C12 infrastructure is available with ISO 27001 and BSI C5 attestation in geo-redundant German data centers.

A12 is designed as a platform for use in regulated environments. The architecture supports data minimization, granular access control (RBAC/ABAC), and encrypted data transmission (TLS/HTTPS). Since A12 is operated on the client's own infrastructure, all data remains under the client's control.

A12 is not offered as a shared SaaS tenant but is always operated as a dedicated instance. Client data remains in dedicated environments. BSI IT-Grundschutz-compliant operations are possible (CON.8 anchored in the SDLC, OWASP ASVS, encryption, penetration testing, incident response). Service levels (availability, response times, and recovery times) are agreed upon individually.

A12 is designed with vendor independence as a core principle. Switching platforms is not impeded by proprietary barriers:

• Open models: All business content (data models, forms, rules, workflows) is stored as JSON in Git — readable without A12 and machine-convertible

• Standard databases: JDBC-compatible (PostgreSQL); export and backup tools included in the operating concept

• Open interfaces: REST/JSON, OAuth 2.0/OIDC/SAML, BPMN 2.0, DMN, PDF/A-3, PDF/UA, JMS

• Open-source tech stack: Spring, React, Keycloak, Kubernetes — runtime components are not tied to mgm

• Containerized deployment: Docker/Kubernetes/Helm — portable, no hosting lock-in

• Open source as of May 2026: Complete source code on openCode.de and GitHub; operable without active vendor support

• No SaaS multi-tenancy: Client data in dedicated environments; orderly handover to successor partners significantly simplified

Contractually agreed exit scenarios — covering data migration, documentation, knowledge transfer, and parallel operation — are standard practice. A migration primarily requires building a new runtime for the data model, business rules, and UI; the business content itself is available in open formats.

In addition, the partner ecosystem serves as a second layer of protection: multiple partners within the A12 ecosystem have independent A12 expertise and are able to continue developing and operating A12 projects without mgm's involvement.