HOB GmbH & Co KG

HOB GmbH & Co. KG is part of the Brandstätter Group, which also owns Playmobil and other companies. HOB GmbH & Co. KG was founded in 1964 as an electronics concern, by Horst Brandstätter. The name HOB is an acronym formed from his name. HOB began developing software and terminals for IBM Mainframe computers in 1981. In 1983, HOB brought the world's first multi-session terminal for Mainframes onto the market, the HOB 78E terminal. Among the company’s major customers were MAN, Munich, the OFD Koblenz^[1] (Oberfinanzdirektion = Superior Finance Directorate: the central instance for all financial matters of the German state Rhineland-Westphalia), the automakers BMW and Audi, and the German mail-order giant Quelle. Up until 2001, the company produced hard- and software mainly for IBM Mainframes. With the advent of PC’s, terminal hardware sales dropped and, in 2001, HOB discontinued production of the multi-session terminals. Since then, HOB produces pure software solutions providing secure remote connectivity for a range of computer operating systems. HOB also provides network infrastructure consultation services.

Company milestones

1964 HOB Electronic GmbH & Co. KG is founded.
1981 Maintaining its focus on hardware, the company also begins to develop software and terminals for IBM
1983 At CeBIT, HOB launches the first simultaneous, multi-session terminal for 3270 access.
1990 Expanding its focus on the software market, the company develops its first solution for Windows-based 3270 emulation.
1996 Java hits the technology scene. HOB becomes one of the first innovators of Java-based connectivity technology.
2000 HOB Inc.^[2] is founded, expanding HOB GmbH & Co KG into the US marketplace with a wide range of connectivity solutions for Windows Terminal Server, IBM Mainframes, AS/400 and UNIX.

Areas of operation

HOB is an internationally active company that delivers software to a variety of customers in the financial, aerospace, health care, education, government and other sectors. HOB software is available in a variety of languages.

Customer care (support, maintenance, update service) is provided both directly from HOB’s central office in Cadolzburg, Germany and by the HOB distributors throughout the world.

In its headquarters in Cadolzburg and other branch offices in Germany, HOB employs about 100 people. In addition to this, HOB also has branch offices in France, Austria, the U.S.A. and Malta, as well as a network of distributors and resellers all over the world.

Development departments

HOB’s various development departments are listed below:

Connectivity Development

Terminal Emulations
Windows Terminal Server Computing
SSL Security Solutions
IP Sec Security Solutions

Database Connectivity Development

Database Connectivity with ODBC and JDBC

Communications Development

Software for IBM Mainframes
Development of new communication technologies

Technology Development

Windows Terminal Server Computing
Windows Remote Access

Networking

Planning, installation and distribution of LAN and WAN networks

Secure Remote Access

HOB’s security software is designed to provide secure remote access to "mission-critical applications" over the Internet and intranets (LANs as well as WANs).

HOB maintains in its central office many different computer types, on which a wide array of various operating systems are installed. This allows HOB to reproduce and solve customer's problems very quickly. In the event of even more difficult problems, HOB support engineers or developers can provide on-site support in a short time.

Organizational structure and ownership

HOB Inc. and HOB GmbH & Co. KG are both affiliated with HOB electronic GmbH as general partners. These entities belong to the Brandstätter Group. All stock is privately held. Outside capital is not involved.

Customer Structure

Along with the IT industry’s rapid growth, the structure of HOB's customer base has expanded greatly, in correspondence with the expansion of HOB's product range. HOB Software Solutions are deployed in more than 3,000 enterprises from the banking, insurance, public administration, governmental agencies, hospitals and industrial sectors

Products

HOB RD VPN (solution for secure remote access)
HOB RD VPN 1.4 (A secure remote access solution (SSL encrypted) for all applications and data in the enterprise network and more)
HOB Planet mIDentity (just plug the HOB Planet mIDentity stick in any USB port on your PC or laptop and access your workstation easily and securely over the Internet)
HOB SCS (HOB SCS (Secure Communications Server), a hardened, open-source operating system platform optimized for HOB RD VPN)
HOBLink VPN Anywhere Client (the universal IPsec VPN client, no client-side installation)
HOBLink VPN (strong security with an IPsec-based virtual private network)
HOBLink VPN Gateway (a IPsec VPN gateway solution)
HOBLink Mobile (secure remote access to enterprise data and applications from a mobile device)
HOB eSecure SDK (the SSL software development kit from HOB for app data security)
HOBLink JWT (the Java client for the Microsoft Windows® Terminal Servers)
HOBLink iWT (convenient RDP Remote Access with the Apple iPad to Windows Servers, VDI Systems and Desktop PCs)
HOBLink JWT Enterprise Access (the Java client (RDP) for Microsoft Windows Remote Desktop Services - with central administration)
HOB RD Selector (optimized performance and lower hardware costs thanks to high-end solutions from HOB)
HOB MacGate (Provides remote access to Mac OS X using RDP)
HOB X11 Gate (Remote Access to Linux terminal servers over the Internet using RDP)
HOBLink Terminal Edition (3270, 5250, VT525 Terminal Emulation and UNIX access with central administration)
HOBLink J-Term (3270, 5250, VT525, HP700 and 9750 emulations, as well as RDP access to Windows Remote Desktop Servers. Java software with central user management and user-defined, saveable configuration.)
HOBLink J-Term Thin Edition (3270, 5250, VT525 and HP700 emulations (optional: RDP client) in a Java solution)
HOBCOM (the communication and dialog system in the /370 and /390 architecture, supports the secure computer network authentication protocol Kerberos which allows for mutual authentication)
HOBLink Secure (secure communication and authentication in TCP/IP networks based on SSL/TLS)

Former Products

HOBLink DRDA (Middleware product for direct access to DB2 databases; in combination with HOBDB online on the host, also provides access to VSAM, DL/I and IMS data)
HOBLink J-DRDA (JDBC-Typ 4 driver for access to DB2-, IMS/DB, DL/1 and VSAM-data)
HOBDB connect (access with DRDA-ptrotocol to ODBC databases)
EasySQL Entry (allows maintenance of host databases directly from the PC)
HOBLink UWT (Unix RDP client)
HOBLink 3270 (3270 emulation)
HOBLink 5250 (5250 emulation)
HOBLink VT525 (VT emulation VT52 till VT525)
HOBLink AFTP (file transfer via APPC)
HOBLink SNA Router (remote access solution for the integration of computers into TCP/IP networks)
HOBLink FaceLifter (graphical user interface for 3270 and 5250 applications)
HOBLink NFS (NFS access to UNIX, OS/390, OS/400 and Windows)
HOBLink RJE (remote job entry to process a mainframe from PC)
HOBDB online (creates a connection between the PC and VSAM files stored on the host)
AUTOCON (multiple console for VM users)
HOBCOM asynchron (mobile solution for PC/Host communication)
HOBTEXT (server system for archiving documents under HOBCOM)
HOBLIST (for archiving host output)
HOBOFFICE (for making host archives accessible for PCs)
HOBPACK (for compressing data on the host and PC)
HOB 472-G - modular color graphic display
HOB 472-G
HOB 472-G/TR
HOB 472-G/ETH
HOB M-477/TR - modular 5250 terminal
HOB 483 - modular 3270 terminal
HOB 488 - modular 5250 terminal
HOB Monitors
- HOB 520 DT (TCO 92)
- HOB 711 L DT (TCO92)
HOBSpeed for ISA (TokenRing / ISA Card)
- HOBSpeed TR/ISA
- HOBSpeed High Performance/ISA
HOBSpeed for PCI (TokenRing/PCI Card)
- HOBSpeed TR/PCI
- HOBSpeed High Performance/PCI
HOBS2-AT (Coax - direct connection for PC)