Initially aimed primarily at researchers, it expanded in the mid-1970s to include computer science professionals, and in 1978 it founded its journal Informatik Spektrum to reach this broader audience.

[2] The Deutsche Informatik-Akademie in Bonn was founded in 1987 by the German Informatics Society in order to provide seminars and continuing education for computer science professionals.

[2] The main activity of the association is to support the professional development of its members in every aspect of the rapidly changing field of informatics.

[2][5] It also offers prizes for the best Ph.D. thesis, for computer science education, for practical innovations, and for teams of student competitors.

In addition, several special interest groups organise large meetings with an international reputation, for example the „Software Engineering (SE)“, the „Multikonferenz Wirtschaftsinformatik (MKWI), the „Mensch-Computer-Interaktion (MCI)“ and the „Datenbanksysteme für Business, Technologie und Web (BTW)“.