Ipswitch, Inc.

Ipswitch, Inc.

File:Ipswitch, Inc. logo.svg
Company type	Private
Industry	Application and network monitoring, Information security, Managed file transfer
Founded	1991
Headquarters	Burlington, MA, United States
Key people	Michael Grossi, CEO Kevin Bisson, CFO
Products	iMacros IMail Server Log Management Suite MessageWay MOVEit WhatsUp Gold WS_FTP
Number of employees	300+ (2016)
Website	ipswitch.com

Ipswitch specializes in developing IT management software aimed at small to mid-sized enterprises. Established in 1991 and based in Burlington, Massachusetts, Ipswitch maintains additional offices located in Alpharetta, Georgia, Augusta, Georgia, American Fork, Utah, Madison, Wisconsin, and Galway, Ireland. Its products are sold both directly and through partnerships across regions including the United States, Canada, Latin America, Europe, and the Pacific Rim. Since 2019, Ipswitch has operated as a subsidiary of Progress Software.

History

Ipswitch was founded in 1991 by Roger Greene from his apartment without external funding from venture capitalists or banks. The company reached profitability within its initial two years. Its inaugural product facilitated communication between the Novell IPX networking protocol and Internet Protocol networks. In 1994, the company introduced the IMail server—recognized as the first product sold via the e-commerce platform Open Market. By the mid-1990s, Ipswitch acted as a value-added reseller for the Spyglass Mosaic browser. The beta release of WhatsUp Gold, a commercial iteration of its earlier shareware WS_Ping, occurred in 1996, alongside obtaining rights to the WS_FTP product.

In 2008, Ipswitch expanded by acquiring Standard Networks Inc., recognized for its MOVEit secure file transfer software. Post-acquisition, Ipswitch structured itself into three main divisions: secure file transfers, network management, and messaging and collaboration. The company further grew by purchasing Hourglass Technologies based in Salt Lake City in 2009, followed by acquiring Dorian Software—a provider of compliance and log analysis tools—in 2010. In December 2012, Ipswitch added Waldorf-based iOpus Software to its portfolio; iOpus is known for its web-browser extension product iMacros.

In 2015, Ipswitch consolidated its network monitoring and file transfer segments and introduced the PartnerSynergy initiative. The company inaugurated a support center in Galway, Ireland in March 2016. On March 28, 2019, Progress Software Corporation announced an agreement to purchase Ipswitch for $225 million, with the acquisition finalized on May 1, 2019.

Philanthropy

The organization dedicates 5 percent of its earnings to initiatives that benefit communities and align with employee passions. In 2010, the network management sector of Ipswitch Inc. recorded more than 5,000 downloads of its WhatsUp Gold Engineer’s Toolkit within the initial month. Collaborating with Trees for Life International, they contributed to planting upwards of 5,000 trees—corresponding to each download.

See also

• List of Standard Networks products, Standard Networks became part of Ipswitch through acquisition in 2008