From a local reseller to a European player

1980, the year of transtecs founding, was a momentous year in the history of computer technology. It was the year in which Microsoft, then a fledgling company, was busy working on the first version of MS-DOS, which would become the operating system of the first IBM PC in 1981. It was also the year in which the Apple IPO was floated. Future giants like Dell were about to be founded. Euphoria was in the air, especially in the Silicon Valley.

On the other side of the Atlantic a young businessman, recognising the enormous potential of the new technology, took a bold step: In 1980 Bernhard Bruscha founded transtec in Tbingen, a picturesque university town in central Swabia. What began as a direct sales operation has evolved during the course of past quarter-century into a true German success story.

Although it began in a garage-like environment, by 1985 transtec had reached the point where it was ready to expand abroad and opened a branch in Switzerland. Five subsidiaries outside Germany followed, one each in Austria, Great Britain, France, Holland and Belgium. In 1987 transtec set up its own production facilities and computers began to roll off the assembly line. Today, transtec manufactures 45,000 systems yearly, all of them custom tailored to customer specifications.

An uncompromising emphasis on quality and a focus on custom solutions led to rapid expansion. In 1992 the 100-mil DM turnover mark was reached. Further strides in the following years made a bourse entry inevitable and in 1998 transtec became transtec AG with a listing on the Neuen Markt of the Frankfurt stock exchange, giving it access to international capital markets.

At the beginning of the new millennium transtec laid the groundwork for future development. In 2002 the direct distribution channel was pared down to allow concentration on business customers. This strategy was continued with the acquisition of Dr. Koch AG, the founding of the Competence Centre for Clustering and Storage and the acquisition of Triple Stor GmbH in 2004.

transtec can look back on twenty-five years of experience in producing and marketing a range of outstanding IT products. This quarter-century also marks one of most successful chapters in Tbingens economic development. Despite the rapid globalisation, especially pronounced in the IT area, and despite its success outside of Germany and its prominence as the European IT factory, transtec has remained loyal to the region from which it emerged, remaining aware of the responsibilities that arise from its role as a large employer in an expanding, technologically advanced industrial sector.

For this and other reasons transtec wishes to celebrate its silver anniversary together with its employees and neighbours, as well as business associates from Tbingen and other regions of Baden-Wrttemberg. On Saturday the 10th September it will open its doors to the public under the motto Twenty-five years of IT Experience: Retrospective, Outlook, Insights. A rich programme, one suited for the entire family, awaits quests, including a captivating mountain bike demonstration by the German mountain-bike champion and the Konica colourful kids photographs to take home of children with zany makeup. In addition, visitors can have a look behind the scenes with a tour of transtecs PC and server production facilities. Festivities conclude with a tasty barbecue accompanied by coffee and cake.