What /n software does

/n software, Inc. is a privately held US software component vendor founded in 1993 and headquartered in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, with 11-50 employees. The company builds developer-focused component libraries, headlined by its IPWorks family, that implement Internet communications, encryption, authentication, EDI, network management, and IoT/Bluetooth/NFC protocols for over 15 development environments including .NET, Java, C++, Python, JavaScript/Node.js, PHP, Delphi, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS, and Swift. The portfolio has expanded through acquisition and organic development to include SecureBlackbox (advanced signatures and certificate management, acquired from EldoS in 2016), Cloud Mail/SSO/Keys/SMS/Storage/Sheets/Calendars (cloud services integrations), Secure PDF, 3-D Secure Server and Mobile SDK, enterprise adapters for Microsoft BizTalk, SSIS, MuleSoft, and n8n, PKI Proxy/Agent, and the newer MCP SDK for Model Context Protocol integration with LLM applications.

The company monetizes through a mix of one-time perpetual software licenses, an annual Red Carpet Subscription that bundles continuous updates, priority support, and obfuscated source-code access across the entire product portfolio, and quote-based enterprise site licenses. Distribution is multi-channel: direct website e-commerce targeting individual developers and SMBs, phone-based enterprise sales at +1 (800) 225-4190, and a global authorized reseller network. Customer segments span independent software developers integrating connectivity and security features, enterprise IT teams building BizTalk and SSIS workflows, and a secondary base of IoT application developers; named use cases include military tactical IoT (Blueforce Development Corporation), a major Danish web portal (Jubii.dk), and emergency services fleet communications.

The business model is bootstrap/founder-owned with no identified venture capital or institutional investors, and no public listing. Corporate history shows selective portfolio shaping: the 2016 EldoS acquisition added security depth, while the 2017 spin-off of payment components into 4D Payments, Inc. (followed by 2019's divestiture of Shipping Integrator to the same entity) sharpened focus on communications and security. Recurring revenue is anchored by Red Carpet Subscription renewals and is supplemented by perpetual-license upgrades; the firm holds GDPR compliance certification and operates US-based data infrastructure, supporting a worldwide customer footprint served through English-language product documentation and the 30-year component brand.

Name

/n software

Legal name

/n software, Inc.

Website

https://nsoftware.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

/n software is a privately held US developer-tools vendor that builds and licenses cross-platform component libraries for secure Internet communications, encryption, EDI, cloud integration, and authentication under its IPWorks brand. It sells to independent software developers, enterprise IT teams, and IoT integrators across 15+ programming environments via perpetual licenses and Red Carpet Subscription.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Chapel Hill

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Software Component Licenses: Sale of developer software components and toolkits for secure communications, encryption, cloud integration, and EDI. Perpetual licenses available with optional subscription for updates.
2. Red Carpet Subscription: Annual subscription model providing continuous product updates, new platform support, technical support, and obfuscated source code access. Multiple subscription tiers with different benefit levels.
3. Enterprise Adapters: Specialized adapters for Microsoft BizTalk Server and SSIS, sold as enterprise solutions with volume licensing and site license options.
4. Cloud Services Integration: Developer components for integrating with cloud services including AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, Microsoft 365, and various SaaS platforms.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

/n software develops and licenses the IPWorks family and related component libraries — reusable, pre-tested developer toolkits that implement secure Internet communications protocols (HTTP, FTP, SMTP, SSH, SFTP, SSL/TLS, MQTT, BLE, NFC, etc.), encryption and authentication (AES, RSA, OpenPGP, S/MIME, OAuth/SSO), EDI processing, cloud service integrations (Microsoft 365, Google, AWS, Azure), IoT connectivity, secure document signing (PDF, XML), and 3-D Secure payment authentication. The toolkits are sold across 15+ development platforms (including .NET, Java, C++, Python, Node.js, Delphi, mobile, and Linux/macOS) primarily through the annual Red Carpet Subscription, with perpetual licenses and enterprise site licenses for BizTalk and SSIS adapters also available.

Product overview

/n software is a comprehensive component library provider offering 30+ years of developer tools for Internet communications, security, and cloud integration. The portfolio consists of the flagship IPWorks family (IPWorks, IPWorks SSH, IPWorks SSL, IPWorks SFTP, IPWorks VoIP, IPWorks MQ, IPWorks IPC, IPWorks NFS) for secure communications; IPWorks Encrypt, IPWorks S/MIME, IPWorks PGP, IPWorks Auth, and IPWorks Zip for encryption and authentication; IPWorks SNMP, IPWorks IoT, IPWorks BLE, IPWorks NFC for network management and IoT; IPWorks EDI and EDI SDK for EDI communication; Cloud Mail, Cloud SSO, Cloud Keys, Cloud SMS, Cloud Storage, Cloud Sheets, Cloud Calendars for cloud services; Secure PDF and SecureBlackbox for secure documents; 3DS Server and 3DS Mobile SDK for secure payments; BizTalk Adapters, SSIS Components, and n8n Nodes for enterprise adapters; and PKI Proxy and PKI Agent for public key infrastructure. The portfolio also includes MCP SDK for AI integration. Products are available across .NET, Java, C++, Python, JavaScript/Node.js, PHP, Delphi, Swift, Android, iOS, Linux, macOS, and other platforms via the Red Carpet Subscription model.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• IPWorks: Industry-leading component library for secure communications development
• SecureBlackbox
• Red Carpet Subscription
• MCP SDK
• Cloud Services
• EDI SDK
• BizTalk Adapters

Products and services

• IPWorks Flagship comprehensive component library providing components for secure Internet communications protocols including HTTP, FTP, SMTP, IMAP, POP3, DNS, SSH, SFTP, and more across all major development platforms.
• IPWorks SSH SSH-enabled client, server, and proxy components with strong SSH 2.0 encryption and advanced cryptography for integrating Secure Shell security into Internet applications.
• IPWorks SSL Security-focused components enforcing TLS for all major Internet protocols including FTP, HTTP, SMTP, OAuth, WebSockets with TLS 1.2 and 1.3 support.
• IPWorks SFTP Lightweight and efficient SFTP client and server library supporting strong SSH 2.0 encryption and advanced cryptography for secure file transfer.
• IPWorks VoIP Voice over IP components for implementing real-time audio communications and VoIP functionality in applications.
• IPWorks MQ Message Queue communications protocols implementation library supporting MQTT and AMQP protocols for IoT and messaging applications.
• IPWorks Encrypt Comprehensive cryptography library enabling strong encryption capabilities including AES, ECC, RSA, ElGamal, ChaCha, Twofish with X.509 certificate management.
• IPWorks Auth Secure user authentication components supporting OAuth, OpenID, Kerberos, RADIUS, LDAP, and certificate management for web, desktop, and mobile applications.
• IPWorks EDI Electronic Data Interchange components for secure EDI transactions over Internet protocols including AS2, SFTP, OFTP, RosettaNet.
• EDI SDK Object-oriented EDI processing toolkit that generates transaction-specific EDI objects from schema files with named properties and methods for reading and writing segments, supporting X12 and EDIFACT.
• Cloud Mail Developer components for integrating cloud mail services including Microsoft 365, Amazon SES, and Gmail into applications.
• Cloud SSO Single Sign-On authentication components for Microsoft Entra ID, Google, Okta and other identity providers for web applications.
• Cloud Storage Cloud storage integration components for Amazon S3, Google Drive, Azure Files, SharePoint, Dropbox, Box, OneDrive, ShareFile, HDFS.
• Secure PDF PDF security library for signing, verification, encryption, decryption with support for Adobe Signatures, PAdES levels, long-term archiving, and PDF form filling.
• SecureBlackbox Comprehensive document security and encryption toolkit for advanced signatures, certificate validation, file encryption, XML signing; originally acquired from EldoS.
• 3DS Server 3-D Secure authentication server and SDK for payment card authentication in online transactions supporting the 3DS 2.2 protocol.
• BizTalk Adapters Fully-managed .NET Adapters and Pipeline Components for Microsoft BizTalk Server providing Internet connectivity, secure messaging, and file transfer for enterprise integration.
• SSIS Components SQL Server Integration Services components for enterprise data integration and workflow automation.
• n8n Nodes Enterprise workflow automation nodes for the n8n platform enabling integration of /n software components into n8n automation workflows.
• PKI Proxy Remote private key signing solution enabling secure access to remote private keys for digital signatures with PKCS#11 and Windows Certificate Store integration.
• MCP SDK Model Context Protocol SDK for bi-directional communication between LLMs and custom code, enabling MCP servers and clients with support for Resources, Tools, Sampling, and Prompts.
• Red Carpet Subscription Subscription service providing all product updates, new versions, priority support, and access to the complete /n software product portfolio including obfuscated source code on an annual billing cadence.

Quantifiable outcome

• Reduces development time significantly - developers report achieving in 30 minutes what took 2 hours with alternatives
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration34 records

AI capability2 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• 4D PaymentsminorOthers · 12 September 2019Shipping Integrator product line acquired by 4D Payments, allowing /n software to focus on core communications and security components while 4D Payments specializes in payment processing.
• MicrosoftcoreTechnology or Integration · 24 September 2017Deep integration partnership with Microsoft through BizTalk Adapters, SSIS Components, and support for Microsoft platforms including .NET, Azure, Office 365, and SharePoint. Components are optimized for Microsoft development environments and middleware platforms.
• 4D PaymentsminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 January 2017Founded as a separate company to focus on credit card transaction processing components, serving customers developing payment processing applications.
• EldoS (SecureBlackbox)coreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing Partner · 15 July 2016/n software acquired EldoS and their SecureBlackbox product line, expanding the company's security and encryption capabilities for document signing, certificate validation, and file encryption.
• n8ncoreTechnology or IntegrationEnterprise n8n nodes provided for workflow automation integration, allowing developers to incorporate /n software components into n8n automation workflows.
• MuleSoftcoreTechnology or Integration/n software Connectors for MuleSoft bring enterprise-ready connectivity and security to Mule projects, providing pre-built integration components.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Aspose: Aspose (now GroupDocs/Aspose family) sells developer component libraries and APIs for file formats (PDF, Word, Excel, email, image, barcode) and document workflows across .NET, Java, Python, and cloud — overlapping with /n software's Secure PDF, Cloud Storage, Cloud Mail, and Cloud Sheets offerings and the same horizontal developer-tools buyer.
• iText (Apryse): iText (acquired by Apryse) is a leading PDF SDK for Java, .NET, and cloud focused on PDF generation, signing, encryption, and digital signatures — directly competing with /n software's Secure PDF and SecureBlackbox advanced signature and PAdES capabilities.
• Devart: Devart provides data connectivity, database, and integration components (ADO.NET/Entity Framework providers, SSIS, Excel add-ins, cloud connectors) — overlapping directly with /n software's cloud integration, SSIS, and database connectivity products for the same .NET/enterprise developer buyer.
• EldoS (now part of /n software via SecureBlackbox): EldoS developed SecureBlackbox (file encryption, certificate validation, advanced electronic signatures) which /n software acquired in 2016; it is the most direct historical peer and inside-the-firm benchmark for security/document SDK quality and pricing.
• Chilkat Software: Chilkat provides cross-platform component libraries and ActiveX/.NET/Java/Python components for Internet communications, encryption (S/MIME, OpenPGP, SSH/TLS), email, and file transfer — directly comparable to /n software's IPWorks family in scope, customer base (independent developers and enterprise integrators), and perpetual+subscription commercial model.
• GrapeCity (ComponentOne): GrapeCity's ComponentOne suite provides .NET, JavaScript, and Angular UI/data/component libraries plus document APIs (e.g., ActiveReports, Documents for Excel/PDF/Word), making it a direct horizontal peer in packaged developer component libraries sold to enterprise software teams.
• Cleo (Cleo Integration Cloud): Cleo provides EDI integration platform and APIs (AS2, SFTP, OFTP, RosettaNet) used by enterprises for B2B messaging — a direct competitor to /n software's IPWorks EDI / EDI SDK business, particularly in supply chain and logistics EDI flows.
• Rebex: Rebex offers .NET components for SFTP, SSH, FTP, SMTP, IMAP, and cryptographic protocols — a closely overlapping product set with /n software's IPWorks SSH/SSL/SFTP/Encrypt line, sold to the same enterprise developer audience and frequently evaluated head-to-head.

Broad incumbents

• OpenText: OpenText is a large incumbent in information exchange, EDI/B2B integration, secure document management, and signature solutions — overlapping with /n software's EDI, Secure PDF, and SecureBlackbox portfolios as part of a much broader enterprise content and integration suite.

Emerging players

• Twilio: Twilio provides programmable communications APIs (SMS, email, voice, SSO) and is one of the underlying providers /n software's Cloud SMS/Cloud Mail/Cloud SSO components integrate with; it represents both a partner and a potential long-term platform competitor to /n software's cloud communication components.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about /n software