Babenhausen – Software from Babenhausen keeps German public sector processes, as well as the operations of banks, insurance companies, corporations and airlines, running smoothly: Jet-Software’s 40-year history is a success story – and, since 1996, a Babenhausen story too. It was then that company co-founder Mike Kelly moved from Dieburg to Babenhausen. With its specialised software, which is used in corporate IT and architecture, Jet-Software GmbH enjoys international success. Since 1986, the company has been a reliable partner for data management and data protection.
Developers are spread across the globe
“We’re not that well known locally,” says Amadeus Thomas, the grandson of software pioneer Mike Kelly. There is still some confusion: “We don’t repair computers,” smiles the 34-year-old managing director of Jet-Software. Indeed, the headquarters on Edmund-Lang-Straße looks rather unassuming. It is not a hub with gigantic supercomputers and IT nerds typing away at their keyboards with intense concentration. It is a one-man operation; “the developers are spread across Germany – and even worldwide,” explains business owner Amadeus Thomas. How does that work? “We’ve had a partnership with a group in Florida since 1993 and collaborate with 43 international partner offices.” And the software is also used worldwide in practice. There are no national borders, language barriers or issues with time zones. “Companies from sectors such as the automotive, watchmaking, lighting and transport industries, including major airlines, rely on our software,” says Thomas. The company’s long-standing experience and four decades of success were recently recognised by the Darmstadt Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK), which sent a representative to Babenhausen with a certificate of recognition to mark the milestone anniversary. Amadeus Thomas attempts to explain his area of expertise and cites an example of its application: Jet Software forms the basis for vehicle registration number management. In practice, this ensures that registration numbers are not issued twice, or that, during a check, the owner can be identified in real time by entering letters and numbers. The success story of Jet Software began in 1986 on Steinweg in Dieburg. The company made a name for itself as a specialist in mainframe software, initially for the operating systems of Siemens and IBM. Later, the portfolio was expanded to include UNIX, Linux and Windows. Ten years later, co-founder Mike Kelly relocated the company’s headquarters to Babenhausen. Grandchild Amadeus Thomas’s passion for the company was sparked at an early age. After a dual study programme and several work placements, the young man joined the family-run business and soon became part of the management team. In their private lives, the family settled in Harpertshausen, the smallest district of Babenhausen – a stark contrast to their global professional lives. “To this day, our in-house software is widely used in the environment of modern mainframes and data servers at our partner group Fujitsu,” reports Amadeus Thomas, now the sole managing director – company founder Mike Kelly passed away last year. His grandson is continuing the family business, and doing so with great passion: “It’s incredibly exciting; there’s a lot happening in this world, and I want to be part of it.” 3 questions, 3 answers with Amadeus Thomas:
Why is data protection so important?
Protecting sensitive data is crucial to preventing identity theft, financial loss and a loss of trust among customers and employees. It ensures compliance with legal requirements, protects confidential business information from unauthorised access and reduces the risk of costly business interruptions caused by cyberattacks.
What does digital sovereignty mean?
Digital sovereignty means independently controlling and managing digital systems, processes and data. It combines technical, legal and organisational perspectives and aims to reduce dependence on external providers and safeguard one’s own ability to act and remain competitive.
How can artificial intelligence be used in IT?
AI offers the opportunity to make data management and IT processes significantly more efficient and secure. It can automatically analyse, classify and monitor large volumes of data. At the same time, AI enables the automation of routine tasks, optimises processes and thus supports the proactive, scalable and future-proof development of IT.