Our history
Three decades of in-depth expertise
The knowledge behind Hanobox didn't begin in 2006 — it was forged in the server rooms, network racks
and mail systems of the late 1990s and has been compounded ever since.
From configuring the first ISDN lines and Novell networks to architecting multi-cloud environments and zero-trust security frameworks, our team has been at the coalface of every major shift in enterprise IT. This timeline shows how that expertise was built layer by layer — not acquired overnight.
Where it all began — enterprise networking & Novell
Local area network design and administration. Hands-on work with Novell NetWare, token ring-to-Ethernet migrations, and structured cabling for SMEs. This era built the deep understanding of network protocols and infrastructure that still underpins everything we do.
E-mail goes corporate — open-source from day one
Designed and operated some of the first dedicated corporate e-mail infrastructures for mid-market companies. Our open-source roots start here: we deployed Sendmail and Postfix on Linux — alongside early Microsoft Exchange 5.5 environments. Management of SMTP routing, DNS MX records and anti-spam filtering, long before cloud-based email accounts existed.
The transition to broadband – ISDN, DSL and early VPNs
The switch from ISDN dial-up connections to permanent DSL and dedicated line connections for business customers. The implementation of early IPsec VPN tunnels to connect branch offices – a milestone that fundamentally changed the way SMEs viewed wide-area networking.
Windows 2000 / Active Directory era
Led large-scale migrations from NT4 domains to Windows 2000 Server and Active Directory. Built the identity and group policy frameworks that many clients still rely on today. Simultaneously deepened expertise in Exchange 2000, clustering, and enterprise backup strategies
Wireless, VoIP & unified communications
Designed early enterprise Wi-Fi deployments (802.11b/g) with RADIUS authentication. Pioneered Voice-over-IP rollouts replacing legacy PBX systems — integrating telephony, voicemail, and e-mail into the first unified communications environments for SME clients.
Virtualisation takes hold — VMware, KVM & consolidated infrastructure
Early adoption of VMware ESX and open-source KVM/QEMU
to consolidate physical servers, dramatically reducing hardware costs
and improving disaster recovery posture. Built expertise in SAN storage
(iSCSI, Fibre Channel) and virtual networking, which formed the basis for modern data centre operations.
Hanobox e.K. is founded
After nearly a decade of building expertise in networking, e-mail, and infrastructure, Hanobox is formally established
as an independent IT consultancy. Our mission: deliver honest,
vendor-neutral advice grounded in real-world experience — not theory.
Exchange 2007, advanced routing & first managed service contracts
Deployed Exchange 2007 with unified messaging and Outlook Anywhere for mobile access. Expanded network practice into MPLS, BGP, and multi-site WAN optimisation. Signed the first long-term managed service agreements, marking the shift from pure consultancy to ongoing operational partnerships
IPv6, first cloud migrations & hybrid architectures
Among the first consultancies in the SME space to move production workloads into early AWS and Azure environments. Developed hybrid architectures connecting on-premises data centres with cloud resources via site-to-site VPN and later ExpressRoute / Direct Connect. Support for IPv6 becomes part of our standard approach to future-proof network design.
Office 365 rollouts & the death of the on-prem mailbox
Migrated on-premises Exchange to Office 365 (now Microsoft 365). Managed complex hybrid coexistence scenarios, ADFS federation, and DirSync/AAD Connect deployments. This wave completed a 15-year journey from Sendmail to fully cloud-hosted corporate e-mail.
SD-WAN, open-source firewalls & ERP advisory practice
Introduced SD-WAN to replace costly MPLS circuits. Deployed open-source firewall platforms
(pfSense, OPNsense) alongside commercial next-gen firewalls. Simultaneously launched the ERP advisory practice, championing open-source ERP platforms like ERPNext and Odoo as serious alternatives to proprietary incumbents.
Management consultancy & process maturity
Expanded beyond pure technology into business process analysis and operational consulting.
Application of standardised methodologies (PDCA, Lean, ITIL, ISO/IEC 20000, Six Sigma) to assess and improve end-to-end processes. Combined deep IT knowledge with management methodology to
help clients extract more value from systems they already owned.
Zero trust, SIEM & end-to-end ERP implementations
Adopted zero-trust security principles across client estates — conditional access, MFA everywhere, micro-segmentation. Deployed the first SIEM platforms for 24/7 threat monitoring. Delivered multiple end-to-end ERP implementations with full data migration and training.
Pandemic response — remote work at scale, overnight
When COVID-19 hit, clients needed to go fully remote — within days, not months. Deployed VPN capacity upgrades, video conferencing systems such as Google Meet, Jitsi or Microsoft Teams, cloud desktop infrastructure, and secure remote access for hundreds of users. Years of networking and communications expertise made this possible under extreme time pressure.
Multi-cloud, open-source IaC & ISO 27001 certifications
Embraced open-source Infrastructure as Code tools — Terraform, Ansible, Git. Guided clients through ISO 27001 and NIS2 readiness programmes using open-source compliance and monitoring stacks. Built multi-cloud architectures spanning AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud — selecting the best platform per workload, always evaluating open-source alternatives first.
AI readiness, automation & the next 28 years
Helping clients evaluate and adopt AI and intelligent automation responsibly — from LLM-integrations and LLM-driven workflows to data governance frameworks that make the enterprise deployment of AI possible in the first place.
