PoINT
PoINT Software & Systems is a German software company founded in 1994 that develops S3-to-Tape archiving, storage management, and replication software for European enterprises in financial services, research, cloud services, and healthcare.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1994
- HeadquartersSiegen, Germany
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What PoINT does
PoINT Software & Systems GmbH is a privately held German software company headquartered in Siegen, founded in 1994. The company develops data storage, archiving, and management software, with its core product PoINT Archival Gateway being an S3-to-Tape solution that receives object data via the standardized S3 REST API and writes it directly to tape media without requiring large disk caches. The platform supports transfer rates exceeding 1 PB per day, scales to three-digit petabyte volumes, and includes integrated WORM protection, retention management, erasure coding, and air-gap isolation against ransomware. Complementary products include PoINT Storage Manager (for file-based archiving and HSM with WORM and AES-128 encryption), PoINT Data Replicator (for S3-based replication), and utility tools for file system analysis and jukebox management.
The company sells software licenses bundled with annual support and maintenance contracts through a hybrid go-to-market combining direct enterprise sales and a partner channel that includes IBM, NetApp, Cloudian, Scality, Spectra Logic, Computacenter, and Atos. It serves enterprise customers across financial services, research and bioinformatics, cloud services, automotive/insurance, and healthcare, with named logos including PostFinance AG, EMBL European Bioinformatics Institute, Cristie Data, ControlExpert GmbH, and Bayern Invest. The company is bootstrapped with no external venture capital and is managed by founder/managing director Thomas Thalmann.
PoINT targets enterprise backup, long-term archiving, and cold-storage use cases where tape media's cost, longevity, and offline-air-gap security characteristics create structural advantages over disk-based alternatives. The company's value proposition centers on vendor independence across tape library manufacturers, support for both proprietary and standardized LTFS formats, and certified interoperability with the dominant object storage and backup ecosystems. The company operates primarily in DACH and broader European markets, with a small headcount of 11-50 employees and over 50 reported installations.
PoINT firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- PoINT
- Legal name
- PoINT Software & Systems GmbH
- Website
- https://point.de
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1994
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- PoINT Software & Systems is a German software company founded in 1994 that develops S3-to-Tape archiving, storage management, and replication software for European enterprises in financial services, research, cloud services, and healthcare.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
PoINT industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Data Archiving and Storage Management Software
- NAICS
- Software Publishers (513210)
- SIC
- Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Object Storage Platforms (HDABAEAC)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Tape Storage & Tape Libraries (HDABAEAK)
Keywords
Where PoINT is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Siegen
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
PoINT business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations
Revenue model
- Software Licensing: PoINT generates revenue through software licensing of its PoINT Archival Gateway, PoINT Storage Manager, PoINT Data Replicator and other products. Software is sold with support contracts and maintenance.
- Support and Maintenance: Annual support contracts for software maintenance, updates, and technical support. Customers with valid support contracts receive upgrades without additional charge (e.g., LTFS Support upgrade).
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels7 records
PoINT product offering
Product offeringCore offering
PoINT develops enterprise software for tape-based S3 object storage, file archiving, and data replication. Its flagship PoINT Archival Gateway enables applications to write data directly to tape through a standardized S3 REST API without large disk caches, supporting WORM, erasure coding, and air gap ransomware protection. PoINT Storage Manager handles file-based archiving and HSM across disk, tape, optical, and object storage, while PoINT Data Replicator moves files and S3 objects to cloud or tape targets.
Product overview
PoINT Software & Systems is a German software company offering a portfolio of storage management and archiving products. The core offering centers on PoINT Archival Gateway, a tape-based S3 object storage solution that writes data directly to tape via the standardized S3 REST API. This primary product is complemented by PoINT Storage Manager (available in Enterprise, Archive, Gateway, and Migration editions) for file-based archiving and HSM, and PoINT Data Replicator for S3-based replication. Additional tools include PoINT File System Analyzer, PoINT Jukebox Manager for optical media, and PoINT Publisher NG. The products are designed to work together—PoINT Data Replicator often pairs with PoINT Archival Gateway for automated backup workflows, while Storage Manager provides compliance-focused archive file system capabilities with WORM protection. The company targets enterprise backup, long-term archiving, and cold storage use cases with a focus on tape media, S3 compatibility, and ransomware protection through Air Gap isolation.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- PoINT Storage Manager: Data and storage management solution for migration and archiving of files to secondary and archive storage
- PoINT Archival Gateway
- PoINT Data Replicator
- PoINT File System Analyzer
- PoINT Jukebox Manager
- PoINT Publisher NG
Products and services
- PoINT Archival Gateway A software-based, high-performance S3 object storage solution that receives data via the standardized S3 REST API and writes it directly to tape media without large disk caches. Supports transfer rates above 1 PB per day, three-digit petabyte archive volumes, WORM protection, retention management, erasure coding, and air gap ransomware protection. Designed for enterprise backup, archiving, and tiering use cases where object data must be retained long-term.
- PoINT Storage Manager Data and storage management solution for migrating and archiving files to secondary and archive storage. Available in Enterprise, Archive, Gateway, and Migration editions with HSM (Hierarchical Storage Management) and archive file system capabilities. Supports WORM protection, retention management, and AES-128 encryption across disk/flash, tape, optical, and cloud/object storage targets, for long-term legally compliant data storage.
- PoINT Data Replicator Software solution that replicates files and objects into S3-based cloud or object storage targets. Supports file-to-object replication, S3-to-S3 object replication, and replication directly to S3-based tape. Often combined with PoINT Archival Gateway for automated backup and archiving via S3.
- PoINT File System Analyzer Software tool for analyzing file systems and storage usage patterns to support storage management and archival planning decisions.
- PoINT Jukebox Manager Software for managing optical disc jukebox systems, used to control and operate optical media libraries within an enterprise storage environment.
- PoINT Publisher NG Publishing solution for distribution of content, listed within PoINT's product portfolio.
Quantifiable outcome
- Transfer rates of more than 1 PB per day
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use PoINT
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
PoINT technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration11 records
Feature8 records
PoINT partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- IBMcoreIBM is a technology and distribution partner for PoINT. PoINT Archival Gateway integrates with IBM TS Tape Libraries (TS4300, TS4500) and IBM 3592 drives. Joint solution briefs available for backup and archiving use cases.
- NetAppcoreNetApp is a technology partner with certified interoperability. PoINT solutions integrate with NetApp StorageGRID object storage for S3-to-Tape tiering. Joint solution briefs available.
- CloudiancoreCloudian is a technology partner. PoINT Archival Gateway integrates with Cloudian HyperStore for automated backup to tape. Joint solution briefs and case studies available.
- ScalitycoreScality is a technology partner. PoINT Archival Gateway integrates with Scality RING for backup and archiving to tape.
- Spectra LogiccoreSpectra Logic is a technology partner for tape library integration. Joint solution briefs available for S3-to-Tape storage solutions.
- ComputacentercoreComputacenter is an existing distribution partner for PoINT products.
- AtoscoreAtos is an existing distribution partner for PoINT products.
- BDT (ORION S3)coreBDT ORION Library combined with PoINT Archival Gateway creates ORION S3, a scalable tape-based S3 appliance. Joint solution brief available.
- MerciaminorMercia is mentioned as the implementation partner for the EMBL-EBI case study with PoINT Archival Gateway.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights6 records
PoINT competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Spectra Logic (BlackPearl): Spectra Logic's BlackPearl product is an S3-to-tape gateway that competes head-to-head with PoINT Archival Gateway. Spectra is also a PoINT technology partner, making it the closest direct competitor in the tape-backed object storage niche.
- IBM Spectrum Archive: IBM's Spectrum Archive (formerly LTFS-EE) is tape management software that enables S3 and LTFS access to tape data, overlapping directly with PoINT's Archival Gateway and Storage Manager capabilities for IBM TS tape libraries.
- StrongBox Data Solutions: StrongBox offers a software-defined tape NAS with S3 and POSIX interfaces, competing directly with PoINT's S3-to-tape value proposition for organizations seeking tape-based cold storage with object APIs.
Broad incumbents
- Cloudian: Cloudian HyperStore is a leading S3-compatible object storage platform that integrates with PoINT for tape tiering, but also offers its own backup and archival features that compete for the same budget.
- Scality: Scality RING is an enterprise object storage platform integrated with PoINT for tape backup, while also providing native data protection and lifecycle features that overlap with PoINT's use cases.
- NetApp (StorageGRID): NetApp StorageGRID is a large-scale S3-compatible object storage platform certified to interoperate with PoINT. NetApp's broader data management portfolio and ILM features create partial overlap with PoINT's tiering capabilities.
- Veeam: Veeam is a leading backup and data management software vendor that integrates with PoINT Archival Gateway, but also offers its own archival, immutability and object storage tiering features that compete for backup budgets.
- Quantum Corporation: Quantum is a major tape storage and data management vendor whose Scalar tape libraries and ActiveScale object storage partially overlap with PoINT's S3-to-tape archival positioning.
- Rubrik: Rubrik is a cloud data management and backup platform that addresses enterprise archival and ransomware-recovery use cases with software-only deployment, competing for the same customer budget as PoINT.
- Cohesity: Cohesity provides consolidated data management, backup, and archival with built-in ransomware protection, offering an alternative architecture to dedicated S3-to-tape gateways like PoINT Archival Gateway.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
PoINT compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance4 records
PoINT financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
PoINT leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
PoINT funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
PoINT M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about PoINT
What does PoINT do?
PoINT develops enterprise software for tape-based S3 object storage, file archiving, and data replication. Its flagship PoINT Archival Gateway enables applications to write data directly to tape through a standardized S3 REST API without large disk caches, supporting WORM, erasure coding, and air gap ransomware protection. PoINT Storage Manager handles file-based archiving and HSM across disk, tape, optical, and object storage, while PoINT Data Replicator moves files and S3 objects to cloud or tape targets.
Is PoINT a public or private company?
PoINT is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was PoINT founded?
PoINT was founded in 1994. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is PoINT based?
PoINT is headquartered in Siegen, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does PoINT make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Software Licensing is the primary driver. The others are support and Maintenance.
Who are PoINT's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Spectra Logic (BlackPearl), IBM Spectrum Archive and StrongBox Data Solutions. Broad incumbents are Cloudian, Scality, NetApp (StorageGRID), Veeam, Quantum Corporation, Rubrik and Cohesity.
Does PoINT have an API?
Yes. PoINT Archival Gateway provides a standardized S3 REST API as the interface for applications that need to store data. The software can be used without adaptations for the increasing number of applications supporting object-based storage based on S3 REST. The concept abstracts from the used tape storage system. The highly scalable S3 REST web service provides almost unlimited parallelism and very high data transfer rates. Data is written directly to tape media without requiring large disk caches or S3 Glacier commands for reading archived data. The solution also supports Amazon Simple Queue Server (SQS) and Kafka service for continuous object replication, helping avoid long scan times when changes are made to an S3 bucket to be replicated. Developer documentation is at www.point.de/produkte/point-archival-gateway.
What industry is PoINT in?
PoINT's product category is Data Archiving and Storage Management Software. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HDABAEAC, Object Storage Platforms, with a secondary code of HDABAEAK, Tape Storage & Tape Libraries. Its NAICS code is 513210 and its SIC code is 7370.