30 Years of Netpresenter: From an Idea to Five Million Users
Netpresenter turns 30. What began as an ambitious idea in the Netherlands has grown into an employee and emergency communication platform that is trusted by large organisations around the world. This is the story of Netpresenter.
A big idea, a small butcher’s shop
The story starts with founder and CEO Frank Hoen, who launched his first company while still a student. Eureka focused on set-top box technology and multimedia software. The fascination with technology, visuals, and reach was there from the very beginning. Then the real work began.
Frank: “In 1995, we were looking at the PC revolution. That was the dawn of networking. Everything was still very basic back then. We asked ourselves: how can you actually convey your message in a smart way?”
Netpresenter was founded in 1995 and officially registered a year later. Operating out of an old butcher’s shop, the team developed Netpresenter 1.0: the world’s first Digital Signage software for the PC. The software ran on Amiga technology and was embraced by a handful of pioneers who believed in the power of visual communication in the workplace.
Frank: “We knew that companies already had those large Digital Signage screens. So why not have Digital Signage on your desktops? Use the existing network. Use all that unused space that’s already there, instead of buying expensive screens and all that other equipment. And that’s exactly what we decided to focus on.”
From local pioneers to an international presence
What started as Digital Signage software for the PC evolved step by step into a broad employee communications platform. The butcher’s shop gave way to offices in the Netherlands, the United States, and the United Kingdom. Netpresenter grew from a startup into a global player.
Among the first customers were Nokia, Sony, and US Space Command. Today, Netpresenter relies on a wide and loyal customer base. Organisations such as George Washington University Hospital, University of Applied Sciences Utrecht and DHL have trusted Netpresenter for years and form an important part of its history.
George Washington University Hospital even used Netpresenter during the inauguration of President Obama. The event took place close to the GWUH, and amid the enormous crowds surrounding it, the communications team kept staff continuously informed via PC screensavers and large information displays powered by Netpresenter.
“I don’t know how we would have managed such an event without this tool.” — George Washington University Hospital
The turning point: safety as a mission
On 11 September 2001, everything changed. Netpresenter’s American office was located in one of the Twin Towers in New York. It was completely destroyed in the attacks. What remained was the stark reality that communication in crisis situations can be a matter of life and death.
Frank: “My immediate thought was: what if those people had known sooner what was happening? Maybe more people could have survived, because they could have evacuated earlier.”
This moment marked a fundamental turning point in Netpresenter’s direction. Safety became a structural part of the mission. Emergency communication tools were developed and integrated into the platform, ensuring that organisations could communicate immediately and reliably, even in emergency situations.
Saving missing children: AMBER Alert
The focus on safety was further extended in 2008 with the launch of AMBER Alert Netherlands, and later AMBER Alert Europe: a Corporate Social Responsibility initiative by Netpresenter that used Netpresenter technology to locate missing children more quickly and inform citizens in real time. In 2009, the system received international recognition with the IBC Special Award. More information about AMBER Alert can be found at www.amberalert.eu.
Growth and market recognition
In 2013, Netpresenter moved to a new headquarters, a milestone that symbolised sustainable growth and team expansion. The platform continued to evolve with new tools and features, including an employee app, to reach all types of workers in an ever-changing work environment.
The market confirmed that Netpresenter’s innovation was making an impact. G2 named Netpresenter a Leader in Employee Communications year after year, and Gartner recognised Netpresenter in its Market Guide as a Representative Vendor. Both distinctions underscore its position as a proven and innovative player in the sector.
AI pioneer
Innovation is in Netpresenter’s DNA, and the AI era makes that clear once again. In 2023, Netpresenter became the world’s first employee communications platform with an integrated OpenAI GPT integration. AI was not seen as hype, but as an accelerator and amplifier of communication. In 2024, Netpresenter Smart Campaigns was launched: an industry-first training tool powered by AI Agent Technology.
Frank: “I’m proud that we were the first platform in the world to make artificial intelligence genuinely useful for communication within organisations. By adding the latest technology, first ChatGPT, and later AI agent technology, we proved to be a true game-changer in the field of internal communications.”
Now and what’s ahead
AI has fundamentally changed the way organisations communicate. Communication platforms are increasingly becoming digital creators and editors: messages are automatically generated, translated, summarised, and targeted based on who someone is, where they work, and what they need. Communication is becoming more personal and more relevant without the communications team having to manually craft every message. At the same time, the way people interact with software is changing.
Frank: “Software interfaces are shifting from navigation to instruction. Instead of clicking through menus, people simply say what they want and the system takes care of the rest.”
These developments, and more are what Netpresenter is focused on, now and in the future. Not as a follower, but as a frontrunner. As it has always been.
Writing the next chapter together
Thirty years ago, it all started with Amiga software in a small butcher’s shop and a handful of people who believed in the power of visual communication in the workplace. Today, organisations around the world rely on Netpresenter to make their communications visible to everyone. That didn’t happen by itself.
So a heartfelt thank you to our customers who have been loyal to us for years, to our partners who build alongside us, and to our employees who write this story forward every day. Together, we have built 30 years of innovation, visibility, and safety, and together we are writing the next chapter.
