Softline Group // Company // History

No garage. Just genius.

The Softline story began in 1983. And, as is appropriate in the IT industry, it begins with a young genius – Peer Blumenschein, who was then aged 16. He began selling software for the new desktop computers that came to Germany from the USA. By 2000, Softline had established itself as a well-known software reseller and as one of the first to offer online and download services. Today, Softline is an international company focusing on IT consulting and support. And it continues to grow.

Milestones along the road to success.

2018
  • 01/2018: Softline Group opens office in Denmark
2017
  • 01/2017: Softline AG negotiates Partnership with IPR-Insights
  • 03/2017: Softline Group renames its subsidiary Prometheus to Softline Services
  • 03/2017: Softline is awarded for the fourth time in a row by Flexera Software as "EMEA Partner of the Year"
  • 04/2017: Softline AG AG executes approved capital reduction
  • 05/2017: Softline AG executes approved increase of the share capital
2016
  • 03/2016: Softline is awarded for the third time in a row by Flexera Software as "EMEA Partner of the Year"
  • 08/2016: Softline Group opens office in Austria
  • 11/2016: Softline AG with capital reduction and capital increase within the debt-equity swap
2015
  • 01/2015: Softline AG resolves on capital increase for further growth
  • 02/2015: Softline AG increases share capital to approximately 10.3 million € by issuing 536,189 no-par shares
  • 03/2015: Softline is awarded for the second time in a row by Flexera Software as "EMEA Partner of the Year"
  • 10/2015: ITAM Review draws Softline for the second year in a row as "Best in Class SAM Managed Service Provider"
  • 10/2015: Softline Solutions opens office in London
2014
  • Softline AG announces changes to its Management Board: Sokrates Koutounidis resigns from the Board with effect from the end of March 2014
  • Former CFO Martin Schaletzky succeeds him as director with effect from 1 April 2014
  • 16 May 2014: Softline AG and Softline Systems & Services separate with immediate effect
2013
  • Increase in SAM activities in Belgian and Luxembourg markets; ASIST exits from the Softline Group but remains a strategic partner
  • Softline AG announces changes to its Management Board: Bernd Wagner resigns from the Board with effect from the end of April 2013 // Sokrates Koutounidis succeeds him as director with effect from 1 May 2013
  • Prof. Dr. Knut Löschke was elected as the new chairman of the supervisory board on October 23rd, 2013, after Bernhard von Minckwitz had to resign from his office for personal reasons
2012
  • XPERTLINK GmbH established
  • Softline AG successfully completes restructuring. Activities in Norway are discontinued / Activities in Belgium are focused into a single company
  • Restructuring of the Management Board: Harry Kloosterman and Christoph Harvey leave the company / Bernd Wagner takes over the management of Softline AG as sole director
2011
  • Appointment of Harry Kloosterman and Bernd Wagner to the Management Board
  • Acquisition of French company STR (Software Technology Resources) S.A.S.
  • Prof. Knut Löschke resigns from the Softline AG Management Board
  • Belgian company Softline Solutions N.V. established
  • Softline Systems & Services GmbH established
  • Acquisition of Belgian company ASIST BVBA
2010
  • Acquisition of Norwegian company Stover AS
  • Softline Solutions Netherlands B.V. established
  • Relocation of Group headquarters to Leipzig
  • Softline Solutions GmbH established
  • Appointment of Prof. Knut Löschke to the Management Board
  • 100% acquisition of Prometheus GmbH
2009
  • Sale of TradeMail Distribution GmbH
2008
  • Appointment of Christoph Harvey (nee Michel) as new Chair of the Management Board
  • Merger of TradeUp and Maily under the TradeMail Distribution name
  • Acquisition of a further 5% stake in Prometheus GmbH
2007
  • Acquisition of a 100% stake in Maily Distribution GmbH
  • Softline AG acquires a 60% stake in Prometheus GmbH
2006
  • Company founder and Supervisory Board member Peer Blumenschein retires from Softline AG as major shareholder
2005
  • Sale of Swiss subsidiary; concentration on the core German market
2003
  • Softline AG moves to Deutsche Börse AG’s General Standard
  • Divestment of Rapid Plc, UK, Softline Benelux BV, the Netherlands, NPR Software Ltd., Ireland and WSKA S.A., France
  • Trade Up Distribution GmbH, Offenburg, Germany established
2001
  • Acquisition of UK company Rapid Group and Swiss company Trade Up
  • Market launch of own brands WSKA and Orlogix
2000
  • Initial public offering – on 14 February Softline is floated on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange’s Neuer Markt
1997
  • Softline is one of the five best known companies in the IT sector in Germany according to the "online-offline 10/96" study by news magazine Spiegel
1983
  • Softline established