Perhaps no other IT service provider in Germany has such a compelling history as CANCOM SE. Established in 1992 by Klaus Weinmann and Stefan and Raymond Kober, CANCOM SE started as Eurocom Handelsgesellschaft mbH in Augsburg. It quickly rebranded to CANCOM. This Munich-based company evolved into a major player in IT services.
Today, CANCOM SE stands as a testament to German innovation. It operates in areas like IT infrastructure and cloud computing. The company has grown to become the seventh-largest IT systems house in Germany.
Let’s dive into CANCOM SE’s story. In 1993, CANCOM secured authorization as an Apple dealer. Soon after, it acquired 60% of Glöckler Computer Fachhandel GmbH. The company opened its first branch a year later. In 1996, CANCOM ventured into catalog sales. This allowed manufacturer partners to advertise their products in CANCOM’s catalogs.
The company centralized its logistics in 1997. All logistics operations were consolidated at the Jettingen-Scheppach headquarters. In May 1998, CANCOM launched its webshop, marking its entry into the digital marketplace. The company went public on the Deutsche Börse on September 15, 1999. By January 2003, CANCOM was admitted to the Prime Standard.
CANCOM SE’s expansion included strategic acquisitions. In 2000, it acquired Teampoint AG. That same year, it expanded into England. The acquisition of Vendit AG followed in April 2001. In July 2004, Tendi Deutschland and Cancom Media Solutions GmbH merged to form Cancom Deutschland GmbH. ECS ComputerPartner GmbH Munich joined the group in January 2005. Services expanded with the acquisition of Netzwerk Service GmbH in July 2006.
More acquisitions followed. In July 2007, CANCOM acquired stakes in 4PC in Düsseldorf and ComLogic in Darmstadt. It also acquired a+d in Austria in October 2007. The IT service provider Sysdat GmbH in Cologne was acquired in July 2008. In December 2008, CANCOM acquired 75.5% of the shares of HOH Home of Hardware. This stake increased to 100% by August 2009. Bürotex Systemhaus in Nürtingen and BT IT-Consulting GmbH from Stuttgart were acquired in December 2009. In November 2010, CANCOM acquired the SAP Hosting and IT Services division of Plaut Systems & Solutions GmbH.
CANCOM’s journey included divestitures as well. HOH Home of Hardware was sold in July 2011 to Getgoods.de. In March 2012, Cancom Ltd. UK was sold to Trams Group in London. CANCOM transitioned to a Societas Europaea on February 28, 2013. In June 2013, Cancom Inc. was founded in Palo Alto to develop cloud computing products.
Following the acquisition of GES Gesellschaft für elektronische Systeme mbH, CANCOM made a voluntary public takeover offer to Pironet NDH in October 2013. By late November 2013, CANCOM SE held 31% of Pironet shares. HoH was sold to Conrad Electronic in December 2013 after HoH’s insolvency.
CANCOM SE acquired 100% of Didas Business Services GmbH in April 2014. This expanded its managed and cloud services. In June 2017, Antauris AG from Hamburg was acquired. To strengthen its UK market presence, CANCOM acquired Ocean Intelligent Communications in early 2018. In August 2018, it acquired the parent company of OCSL.
The CANCOM share was promoted to the MDAX index in August 2019. It was re-added to the SDAX index in September 2022. CANCOM acquired Anders & Rodewyk GmbH in early January 2021. In late July 2021, Cancom Ltd. was sold to Telefónica Tech. In July 2022, CANCOM signed an agreement to acquire the S&L Group. In early 2023, 100% of NWC Services GmbH was acquired.
CANCOM announced its largest acquisition in April 2023. It acquired K-Businesscom with 1,650 employees. In November 2023, the IT consulting and service business of DextraData was acquired. Since January 1, 2024, K-Businesscom operates under the CANCOM Austria brand. In August 2024, CANCOM acquired SBSK from Saxony-Anhalt.
CANCOM SE continues to evolve. It stands as a leading IT service provider, driving digital transformation for businesses. The company’s journey reflects its commitment to innovation. CANCOM supports the UN Global Compact. It has received several awards. These include recognition for its training programs and community engagement. CANCOM’s Munich headquarters remains a hub of technological advancement. It shapes the future of IT services in Germany and beyond.