25 Years Beta Systems
25 Years of High-Tech and
Innovation
“Running a successful business as a software manufacturer for a quarter of a century is an
achievement that cannot be taken for granted. Our founders built the company on the principles of
innovation and quality. The same values apply 25 years later as we consistently strive to align our
product strategy with the IT requirements of our customers. That’s the key to our success.”
Kamyar Niroumand, CEO of Beta Systems AG
Founders with a Vision
Beta Systems was founded in 1983 in Berlin by IT experts Alfred H. Tauchnitz, William P.
Schmidt and James Henderson. The first product was Beta 91, a tool for assuring the quality of
input data. The company founders initially focused on the development of IBM mainframe software
solutions for automated data processing in data centers. Owing to their extensive experience in the
area of system software for mainframes, they recognized the importance of comprehensive quality
assurance and after-sales services, which laid the foundation for forging strong customer ties,
many of which have endured up to the present day.
Successful Market Penetration
1984 saw the introduction of the second product, Beta 92, which facilitates the tasks of
checking and archiving job logs. Beta Systems was able to establish itself in the European IT
landscape in record time. The third product followed in 1988: Beta 93 for distributing and
archiving printed documents. In 1989, the Beta Systems architecture introduced a unified basis for
the further development of the software products. In 1991 IBM accepted the young company as the
first European partner of its SystemView partner program.
Initial Public Offering and Expansion
In the first decade, Beta Systems secured its reputation as a supplier of extremely reliable
and efficient software. In 1997 the company went public and was renamed Beta Systems Software AG.
This step marked the successful transition into an internationally active, mid-sized software
group. In the following years and in spite of the turbulent development of the Beta Systems share,
the group managed to round off its product portfolio by acquiring selected companies.
Provider of End-to-End Solutions
In 1998 Beta Systems acquired the Canadian software developer Harbor Systems Management Ltd.
(Calgary) specialized in distributed storage solutions for data centers. In 2002 Beta Systems
leveraged the expertise as an end-to-end solution provider accumulated over the years to introduce
its first platform-independent software suite for output management, which combined all document
management products developed up to that point. In 2003 Beta System acquired Systor Security
Solutions GmbH (Cologne, Germany) and its Security Administration Manager (SAM) product line,
enriching its security portfolio with a solution for central IT user rights management.
Beta Systems among the Top Ten
In 2004, as the first step in yet another company acquisition, Beta Systems became the
majority shareholder of Kleindienst Datentechnik AG, Augsburg, a leading document management
specialist with a broad input management solution portfolio including mature scanner and sorter
technology that meets the needs of banks for processing paper-based payment transactions. In 2005
the companies merged to become Beta Systems AG, which now offers the full range of products for the
growing Enterprise Content Management (ECM) market under the banner of “input meets output,”
enabling Beta Systems to enter Germany’s top ten of software producers for the first time in
company history.
Restructuring and Consolidation
After a phase of fast growth and company acquisitions, 2006 was dedicated to reviewing the
group’s strategy, portfolio and organization. The product offering was streamlined and product
development as well as the sales strategy were aligned with the four application areas document
processing, security, compliance and data processing in data centers. The 2007 business year
brought the best operating result since going public – Beta Systems has made it back into the
black. This trend reversal was achieved by the sales department’s consistent customer orientation,
an optimized company cost structure and the focus on the core business software licenses and
services.
Beta Systems Today – Mission and Brand
We are proud to celebrate our company’s 25th anniversary and will continue to develop
high-quality, forward-looking software products and solutions for the automated processing of
documents and bulk data. We support companies in the banking, insurance commerce, general industry
and logistics sector in the core areas document processing, information management, user management
and compliance. Beta Systems currently has more than 600 employees. Our over 1,300 international
customers with more than 3,000 operating installations include major corporations active in the
financial services, general industry, commerce, logistics and IT services sector in Germany, Europe
and the USA. Nine of Germany’s ten largest industrial corporations and seven of Europe’s ten
largest insurance groups trust in software solutions from Beta Systems. We are internationally
positioned with headquarters in Berlin, competence centers in Augsburg, Cologne and Calgary
(Canada) as well as 17 subsidiaries and numerous partners.
Innovative Product Portfolio
In order to generate added value for the customers, modern IT systems must be capable of
quickly mapping new business processes. The larger the organization, the more complex the challenge
– especially if company acquisitions or mergers resulted in heterogeneous IT landscapes. This is
where IT agility becomes a key factor for success. As part of the Beta 4Agility program, we develop
innovative products and solutions for application in a service-oriented IT infrastructure. The four
software modules Beta Agilizer 4 Document Processing, Security, Compliance and Data Processing are
designed to support real business processes. In addition to our tried and proven products and
solutions, they offer companies a high degree of flexibility across system boundaries based on
cutting-edge technologies.
Profitable Growth with Beta Systems
We have laid the foundation for sustained and profitable growth in all business units. In
order to secure our leading position as a software provider, our activities focus on the licensing
and service business, gaining new customers in the key areas financial services and general
industry as well as extending our global partner business. We would be glad to welcome you aboard
as our customer, partner, shareholder or employee.
Thank you for your interest in our company.
Berlin, March 2008
