Cendio was founded in 1992 by a group of young entrepreneurs from Linköping University who were passionate about Linux and so-called open code. Today, more than 30 years later, Johan Igheimer, Jean Zagonel, and their 13 colleagues provide access to over 200,000 users worldwide who use Linux. Through Cendio’s software, ThinLinc, users can connect and access the tools and systems they need from any computer.
- From the beginning, Linux has been free software with open-source code. Our remote solution, ThinLinc, is built in the same way, appreciated by our customers. We are the only corporate product on the market that is fully Linux
In the early 90’s, Linux was new and perhaps the hottest trend in the entire computer world. Cendio was founded by a group of students at Linköping University to provide service and support for Linux and other open-source software. The company quickly secured several prestigious projects, including being behind the first internet bank started by Östgöta Bank and the website bytbil.com. Cendio also developed Fröken Ur, which can still be reached at the number 90 510. Over time, the company shifted its focus to concentrate more on developing its own products. Among them, they offered the market a self-developed firewall, Fuego Firewall.
- The consulting business was, in itself, doing well,” says the current CEO, Johan Igheimer. But they realized that they could achieve a completely different scalability through their own product development.
Today, the majority of Cendio’s activities revolve around the software ThinLinc, a so-called server-client software. This software allows users to connect from virtually any computer to graphical Linux environments located elsewhere. The company has 50,000 paying customers and 150,000 users of the free version worldwide. Naturally, there are several competitors offering similar solutions. However, according to the company’s marketing manager, Jean Zagonel, ThinLinc has several unique advantages.
- First and foremost, we are the only company fully specializing in Linux. I believe that our customers, who are familiar with Linux, recognize this immediately – they notice that we share the same background, speak the same language, and know that they are not buying a pig in a poke. When using a remote solution, performance and functionality are crucial. The goal is for the end-user not to notice that they are connecting to a computer 500 miles away; the experience should be as if working on the computer sitting on your desk. We often hear from our customers that the ability to deliver a local user experience, high security, and the authenticity of Linux are reasons for choosing ThinLinc over the so-called ‘Black Box’ alternatives offered by larger players.
Cendio’s customers are located worldwide, primarily among universities, research institutes, automobile manufacturers, semiconductor companies, and the defense industry. They all share the common need for sophisticated software that exclusively operates on Linux, often involving vast amounts of computing power and data utilization. Using a remote solution like ThinLinc provides significant time and cost savings. Johan provides an example.
- Imagine that Volvo wants to engage an expert who is a world leader in wind tunnels and resides in England. One option would be to relocate the expert to Volvo for a few weeks, another to send a powerful workstation to England and install all the necessary software. A much more streamlined approach, of course, is to simply provide him with ThinLinc and a login – and you’re up and running. This way, he can access all the tools he needs securely, without compromising his end-user experience
Since the beginning of December, Cendio has been a part of Swedish Scaleups. Johan believes it is a way for the company to broaden its perspective.
- We probably consider ourselves reasonably smart and sensible, but we realize that we could become even better if someone from the outside comes in and asks us some uncomfortable questions. It’s easy to fall into tunnel vision. We need help from individuals with different perspectives, those who have experienced rapid growth journeys before and have the networks. Perhaps we were a bit skeptical at first, but we have gained a lot of confidence in our contacts at Linköping Science Park.
Cendio’s ambition now is to grow rapidly in the international market.
- We want to increase our presence and gain market share both in Europe and the USA, says Jean. I am confident that we can find more customers among companies operating at a high technological level, such as in the semiconductor industry.
Cendio – Harnessing the Power of Linux from Any Computer
