If one of these apps leads to avoidance of a handful of serious cases (by identifying clusters earlier and thus reducing spread) it has paid for itself. An ICU bed costs _at least_ 2000 euro a day (that's for a normal one, ongoing operational costs only; rush-job new ICU capacity is presumably more expensive); it doesn't take too many averted hospitalisations to pay off one of these apps.
Obviously, it would have been better if the German app has been cheaper. But rush jobs are expensive, and the cost involved is pretty minimal relative to the cost of managing the pandemic writ large. If it's even slightly effective, it was worth it.
I think a lot of people could have made a good working app for a lot less. But on the other side: if SAP and Telekom had failed no one would have blamed the government.
And if the both had failed their reputation would have suffered a lot. Well it's not the best as it is, so well.
They have a top team and delivered on time. Thats rare in software development.
And 20 million are nothing compared to the tax break which costs about 3 trillion.
For the government it's money well spend in two german flagship companies.
My guess most of it was insurance money in case something went wrong, so these companies would have taken the fall.
