NFON

NFON is a German business communications company headquartered in Munich. Founded in 2007 by Marcus Otto, Mathias Edelmann, and Fabian Hoppe, it emerged during the growing adoption of Internet telephony and developed a software-based telephone system intended to make advanced business telephony accessible to smaller companies. Its early system was built on the open-source Asterisk platform and could connect conventional desk phones with laptops and mobile devices, offering capabilities that had traditionally been associated with larger enterprise telephone systems. The company operates primarily through a recurring-revenue cloud-services model. Its platform combines business voice communications with video conferencing, customer-contact functions, customer relationship management integration, collaboration tools, and services intended to support more efficient work. NFON presents these capabilities across four broad areas: business communication, customer contact, integration, and enablement. This positioning places the company between traditional telecommunications operators, hosted private branch exchange providers, and broader software-based collaboration platforms. NFON initially expanded from Germany into Austria in 2009 through the establishment of NFON GmbH, a joint venture with ipefon. Subsequent venture-capital financing supported expansion into additional European markets. By early 2015, the company reported a presence in twelve countries. It later broadened its geographic reach, including additions of Italy and France in 2019, and developed a combination of wholly owned national subsidiaries and a large indirect partner network. The company has been represented by its own entities in Germany, Austria, the United Kingdom, Spain, Italy, France, Poland, and Portugal, while also serving customers through partners in other European markets. A significant strategic theme in NFON's development has been the migration of businesses from legacy fixed-line and ISDN systems to Internet-based telephony. Its 2016 cooperation with Deutsche Telekom was intended to accelerate this transition among medium-sized companies. NFON also expanded through acquisitions, purchasing Deutsche Telefon Standard AG in 2019 and Onwerk GmbH in 2020. These transactions strengthened its position in the German business-telephony and communications-services market. NFON became a publicly traded company on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange on 11 May 2018. At the time of its initial public offering, it had approximately 150 employees, more than 15,000 corporate customers, and operations in thirteen European countries. The company later grew its customer base and workforce. It reported turnover of EUR 75.9 million for the 2021 financial year and EUR 80.8 million for 2022. In mid-2023, NFON stated that it served approximately 50,000 customers in fifteen countries and worked with around 3,000 partners. More than 500 people were employed at the end of 2022. The company’s revenues are substantially recurring because customers pay for continuing access to cloud services and associated communications usage, including call charges. Patrik Heider became chief executive officer in May 2023. NFON remains focused on European business customers, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises seeking hosted communications, integrated customer-contact functions, and flexible access across office, laptop, and mobile environments.

NFON was founded in March 2007 in Germany by Marcus Otto, Mathias Edelmann, and Fabian Hoppe. The founders developed a business telephone system as software rather than as dedicated proprietary hardware. Based on the open-source Asterisk platform, the system sought to give small and medium-sized companies access to functions previously associated with larger corporate telephone installations. It supported the use of desk phones while also connecting laptops and mobile devices, reflecting the early convergence of fixed and Internet-based communications. The company gained customers rapidly in its first years. Between the middle of 2008 and the middle of 2009, its customer count increased from roughly 1,000 to approximately 12,000. In late 2009, NFON entered Austria by establishing NFON GmbH in a joint venture with ipefon, based in Sankt Pölten. Venture-capital financing rounds helped fund the company’s subsequent European expansion. By the beginning of 2015, NFON reported operations in twelve countries. The company’s expansion was driven by the increasing replacement of traditional business telephone systems with hosted and Internet-based services. In 2016, NFON and Deutsche Telekom entered into a cooperation intended to encourage medium-sized businesses to migrate from ISDN to Internet telephony and virtual telephone systems. NFON continued building a European operating structure through subsidiaries and partners, later adding Italy and France to its direct country presence in 2019. NFON became a public company on 11 May 2018, when its shares were admitted to the Prime Standard of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange. At the time of the listing, the company had about 150 employees, more than 15,000 corporate customers, and operations in thirteen European countries. Its business model emphasized recurring payments for hosted communications services, supplemented by usage-related call revenue. Mergers and acquisitions became another part of NFON’s growth strategy. In spring 2019, the company acquired Deutsche Telefon Standard AG. It acquired Onwerk GmbH approximately one year later. These transactions supported NFON’s efforts to broaden its business communications offering and strengthen its market position. NFON continued to operate through a mixture of national subsidiaries and indirect distribution. Its own companies have included operations in Germany, Austria, the United Kingdom, Spain, Italy, France, Poland, and Portugal, while its partner network extended its reach across Europe. By mid-2023, the company stated that it served about 50,000 customers in fifteen countries and cooperated with roughly 3,000 partners. It reported turnover of EUR 75.9 million in 2021 and EUR 80.8 million in 2022. At the end of 2022, its workforce exceeded 500 employees. The modern NFON proposition is an integrated cloud communications platform. It combines voice calling with video conferencing, customer-contact services, CRM and collaboration integrations, and tools intended to enable more flexible work. Patrik Heider became chief executive officer in May 2023, while Rainer-Christian Koppitz chaired the Supervisory Board. NFON remains an active European provider focused on cloud communications for business customers, especially small and medium-sized enterprises.

1. 2023Patrik Heider becomes CEO

   Patrik Heider became chief executive officer in May 2023.

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2. 2020Acquisition of Onwerk

   NFON acquired Onwerk GmbH approximately one year after purchasing Deutsche Telefon Standard AG.

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3. 2019Expansion and acquisition of Deutsche Telefon Standard

   NFON added Italy and France to its expansion program and acquired Deutsche Telefon Standard AG.

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4. 2018Frankfurt Stock Exchange listing

   NFON’s shares began trading in the Prime Standard segment of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange on 11 May.

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5. 2016Deutsche Telekom cooperation

   NFON and Deutsche Telekom agreed to promote the transition of medium-sized companies from ISDN to Internet telephony and virtual telephone systems.

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6. 2015European presence reaches twelve countries

   NFON reported representation in twelve countries as venture financing supported its international expansion.

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7. 2009Entry into Austria

   NFON established NFON GmbH in Austria as a joint venture with ipefon.

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8. 2007NFON is founded

   Marcus Otto, Mathias Edelmann, and Fabian Hoppe founded NFON in Germany and began developing a software-based business telephone system using Asterisk.

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A European cloud communications specialist focused on small and medium-sized enterprises, combining hosted business telephony with customer-contact, collaboration, video, and software integrations.

• NFON cloud communications platformCloud business communications

  NFON’s core offering is a hosted communications platform for business customers. It provides cloud-based voice calling and is designed to support video conferencing, customer contact, CRM integration, collaboration, and more flexible work practices. The service model allows companies to use communications capabilities without operating a conventional on-premises telephone system.

• Cloud business telephonyBusiness voice services2007

  NFON’s business telephony services replace or supplement traditional fixed-line and ISDN systems with Internet-based communications. The company’s original software approach enabled smaller enterprises to access advanced telephone-system functions across desk phones, laptops, and mobile devices.

• Customer-contact servicesCustomer communications

  The platform includes customer-contact capabilities alongside business communication functions. These services are intended to help organizations manage interactions with customers and connect communications workflows with other business applications.

• CRM and collaboration integrationsSoftware integration

  NFON supports the integration of communications with CRM and collaboration tools. The objective is to make voice and customer-contact activity available within broader business workflows rather than treating telephony as a separate office system.

• 2020Acquire Onwerk GmbHM&A

  NFON continued using acquisitions to broaden its communications technology and market capabilities.

  What changed. NFON acquired Onwerk GmbH approximately one year after the Deutsche Telefon Standard transaction.

  Aftermath. The transaction supported NFON’s continued development as an integrated cloud communications provider.

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• 2019Acquire Deutsche Telefon Standard AGM&A

  NFON sought to expand its business communications capabilities and strengthen its position in its home market.

  What changed. NFON acquired Deutsche Telefon Standard AG in spring 2019.

  Aftermath. The acquisition became part of NFON’s broader European cloud-communications expansion.

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• 2018Initial public offering and Frankfurt listingOther

  NFON had expanded its customer base and European footprint and sought access to public capital markets.

  What changed. The company listed its shares in the Prime Standard segment of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange on 11 May 2018.

  Aftermath. NFON became a publicly traded European cloud communications provider.

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• 2016Partner with Deutsche Telekom on ISDN replacementStrategy

  Businesses were increasingly moving away from legacy ISDN infrastructure toward Internet telephony and virtual telephone systems.

  What changed. NFON and Deutsche Telekom agreed to cooperate in encouraging and supporting the migration of medium-sized companies to Internet-based communications.

  Aftermath. The cooperation aligned NFON with the broader European transition from traditional fixed-line systems to hosted business telephony.

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• 2023Patrik Heider becomes NFON chief executive

  Patrik Heider took over as chief executive officer in May 2023.

  Leadership change
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• 2020NFON acquires Onwerk GmbH

  NFON acquired Onwerk GmbH, extending its corporate communications capabilities.

  M&A
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• 2019NFON adds Italy and France to its European footprint

  The company expanded its direct European presence with Italy and France among the additional markets entered during 2019.

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• 2019NFON acquires Deutsche Telefon Standard AG

  NFON acquired Deutsche Telefon Standard AG as part of its expansion in business communications.

  M&A
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• 2018NFON lists on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange

  NFON became publicly traded in the Prime Standard segment of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange on 11 May 2018.

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• 2016NFON cooperates with Deutsche Telekom on ISDN migration

  NFON and Deutsche Telekom agreed to cooperate on helping medium-sized businesses move from ISDN-based systems to Internet telephony and virtual telephone systems.

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• 2009NFON expands into Austria

  The company expanded into Austria through NFON GmbH, established as a joint venture with ipefon.

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• 2007NFON founded as a software-based Internet-telephony provider

  Marcus Otto, Mathias Edelmann, and Fabian Hoppe established NFON to provide software-based business telephony built on Asterisk and accessible to smaller companies.

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1. NFON