OctoGate
that’s what we stand for as a manufacturer.
We’re passionate about our products and love what we do.
We’d love to introduce ourselves!
1990
Founding of HSM-Menne GmbH
This is where it all began: in the basement of his parents’ home in Hövelhof. There, in 1990, Frank Menne founded HSM-Menne GmbH, a company providing hardware and software services, together with his father. The basement, however, did not live up to its name, as the company’s headquarters at the time offered plenty of space for the rapidly growing business. After a few years, the company had six employees. Starting in the mid-90s, projects with major companies such as VW, Audi, Nixdorf, Oracle Germany, and others began to grow. From 2000 onward, the company continued to expand and offered consulting services to clients such as Deutsche Bank and SEB.
2001
Development of the first OctoGate firewall
After two years of development, the first OctoGate firewall was completed. This highly innovative product is versatile and suitable for small and medium-sized businesses, tax and law firms, as well as local governments and social service organizations. The firewall hardware, which was state-of-the-art at the time, featured an ISDN card, a display for showing the system status, and was even capable of sending faxes.
After two years of development, the first OctoGate firewall was completed. This highly innovative product is versatile and suitable for small and medium-sized businesses, tax and law firms, as well as local governments and social service organizations. The firewall hardware, which was state-of-the-art at the time, featured an ISDN card, a display for showing the system status, and was even capable of sending faxes.2004
Founding of HSM IT-Services GmbH
As a result of consolidation measures and a shift in the company’s focus, HSM-Menne GmbH split up in 2004. HSM IT-Services GmbH was born and increasingly focused on IT software. Within a few years, the company developed into a recognized software service provider with more than 6,000 users. HSM IT-Services GmbH has made a name for itself through consulting, development, and implementation of customer-specific IT solutions.
As a result of consolidation measures and a shift in the company’s focus, HSM-Menne GmbH split up in 2004. HSM IT-Services GmbH was born and increasingly focused on IT software. Within a few years, the company developed into a recognized software service provider with more than 6,000 users. HSM IT-Services GmbH has made a name for itself through consulting, development, and implementation of customer-specific IT solutions.2010
Founding of OctoGate IT Security Systems GmbH
To further drive development in the IT security sector, the OctoGate product division was spun off into an independent company. A yellow octopus was chosen as the company logo. The octopus is intended to evoke the term “data octopus,” which emerged in discussions about data protection in the 2000s. OctoGate IT Security Systems GmbH will henceforth be responsible for securing internal corporate networks.
To further drive development in the IT security sector, the OctoGate product division was spun off into an independent company. A yellow octopus was chosen as the company logo. The octopus is intended to evoke the term “data octopus,” which emerged in discussions about data protection in the 2000s. OctoGate IT Security Systems GmbH will henceforth be responsible for securing internal corporate networks.2010
Schools as a new target group
After focusing on B2B customers as its primary target audience for many years, the company expanded into the education sector as another major target group in the early 2010s. This allowed the company to concentrate specifically on the unique needs of the education sector. All products and services were subsequently adapted to the daily school routine: safety measures tailored to young people, features specific to education, and support hours aligned with school schedules.
2013
Collaboration with the LMZ
The model solution developed by the Baden-Württemberg State Media Center is considered a pioneer in school digitization and is in use as a comprehensive network solution in hundreds of schools both within and outside Baden-Württemberg. This made it all the more gratifying when the first framework agreements between the LMZ and OctoGate were signed, allowing our firewall to be adopted as a standard tool of paedML® Windows in schools. Since then, the LMZ and we have been working closely together on the solution to ensure that schools have the best possible digital school experience with paedML® Windows and the OctoGate firewall.
2015
Membership in TeleTrusT
The German IT security association TeleTrusT is a network of experts serving industry, government, consulting, and academia. The association awards the TeleTrusT trust mark “IT Security made in Germany” (ITSMIG) to trustworthy IT security solutions without hidden “backdoors.” This quality mark gives OctoGate’s partners and customers the assurance that they are choosing IT security products that comply with strict German data protection guidelines.
2015
A new look for the OctoGate brand
Since the old design was starting to show its age and the term “data octopus” was no longer relevant, OctoGate decided to give the brand a makeover. The octopus had to go, and the color yellow was also phased out in the redesign. The goal of the redesign was to create a solid, elegant look that would appeal equally to the broad target audience.
2016
Moving into the modern workspaces
The company has been growing steadily, which is why the space in the old office building soon became insufficient. As a result, we leased a larger office space in the Dören industrial park, where OctoGate is still headquartered today. The move benefited not only our employees but also our storage capacity. The previously rented storage spaces were scattered across the city. Logistically, a lot of planning was required at this point. In the new building with extra-high ceilings, we now have two high-bay warehouses with ample space available.
2017
First in-house Wi-Fi hardware
While OctoGate had previously relied on third-party routers to provide customers with Wi-Fi hardware, the company launched its first in-house developed Wi-Fi access point, the AC-1000, in 2017. State-of-the-art Wi-Fi technology is integrated into a timeless, elegant design for even better interoperability with the firewall solution.
2018
Outsourcing of Schulfirewall.de
Since our two main target groups—B2B and schools—each require a different approach, and we had previously focused more on the B2B sector with octogate.de, we split the platform into octogate.de and schulfirewall.de in 2018. All school-specific content was packaged in a completely new design, and a separate website was created specifically for the education sector. Tailored to the needs of educational institutions, Schulfirewall offers a proven, comprehensive solution for IT security and school equipment.
2020
Youth protection certified by the BPJM module
Our youth protection measures have been reviewed by the Federal Agency for the Protection of Children and Young People in the Media. Since then, we have been proud holders of the BPJM module and assure you that our youth protection measures comply with the Agency’s requirements and guidelines.
2020
Introduction of the new AX-generation access points
With the introduction of the new Wi-Fi 6 standard, the latest generation of OctoGate access points has also been launched. For the first time, OctoGate’s AX series is available in different models: the AX-3000 for low to medium bandwidth requirements and the AX-3500 for high bandwidth requirements. Outdoor Wi-Fi coverage is also covered: The AX-3050 is specifically designed for outdoor use and integrates gardens, courtyards, sports fields, and parking lots into the Wi-Fi network.
2021
Introduction to OctoGate Switches
In addition to network security and Wi-Fi coverage, we have also been providing hardware solutions for network infrastructures since 2021. The new OctoGate switches serve as modern, high-performance networking components for computer networks of all sizes.
2023
New OctoGate Version 4
With Version 4, we have created a new generation of OctoGate. State-of-the-art security meets forward-thinking features. A brand-new user interface packed with innovations: a customizable dashboard, time-based browsing controls, secure two-factor authentication, tandem-capable virus scanners, support for WireGuard VPN, and much more.
2025
New OctoGate Rack
With this new hardware, we have created our latest generation of OctoGate. Security “Made in Germany” with high-performance hardware: backdoor-free in accordance with EVB, firewall including parental controls (86 million entries), and GDPR-compliant logs. Control via app, fair maintenance contract with updates & support, optionally available as an all-in-one (firewall/Wi-Fi/switches) or cloud solution for easy rollout.
Our Guiding Principles
We develop high-quality solutions that meet our clients’ needsCustomer satisfaction is our measure of successSecure online communication is our passionFor us, a successful partnership is like a good friendship that we are happy to nurtureBalancing family and career is what drives usWe prioritize long-term value in our companyStable financial results are the foundation of long-term success.
What Sets Our Support Apart
Dates and Events
We would be happy to demonstrate our solutions to you in person and invite you to our regular webinars, events, and training sessions.
We look forward to seeing you.
Certifications & Memberships
