Ferli

What Ferli does

Ferli ehf is an Icelandic private limited company founded in September 1991 and headquartered in Kópavogur, Iceland. It operates as a two-person software house and value-added software distributor specializing in IBM System i (AS/400) solutions, a legacy enterprise computing platform still in use across Icelandic municipal and business IT estates.

The company's core proprietary products are Þjóðarsýn (national registry lookup covering population, business, and child custody registries) and Íbúasýn (resident management system for Icelandic municipalities), both delivered with daily, weekly, and monthly data updates and exposed via XML web services. Supporting proprietary and partner-developed tools include Strategi (System i web enablement), Presto (green-screen-to-web modernization), WebSmart, X-Analysis, InterformNG2 (document output), GoAnywhere (secure file transfer), Halcyon (system monitoring), DeskAlerts (enterprise messaging), DataGate and AVR.net (database and development tools). The most recent releases — version 4.4 of the municipal products in 2024 and new ÞjóðarsýnXML and Hlutafélagasýn web-service clients in March 2026 — indicate ongoing maintenance and incremental modernization of the registry product line.

Ferli monetizes through two channels: licensing/royalty income from distributing international IBM i software in Iceland (partnerships with Advanced BusinessLink since 1999, Fresche since 2010, DeskAlerts since 2021, and several other vendors), and custom software development services for Icelandic IBM i customers. GTM is sales-led and direct, targeting Icelandic municipalities and Icelandic businesses through a website plus direct phone/email contact. The company is founder-owned and bootstrapped, with Björn Hilmarsson and Guðrún Björk Gunnarsdóttir as the sole identified staff and principals.

Name

Ferli

Legal name

Ferli ehf

Website

https://ferli.is

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Ferli ehf is a two-person Icelandic software house and value-added distributor specializing in IBM System i solutions, providing municipal registry software (Þjóðarsýn, Íbúasýn) and distributing niche IBM i tools to Icelandic municipalities and businesses since 1991.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

IBM i Enterprise Software Solutions

NAICS

Custom Computer Programming Services (541511), Computer Systems Design and Related Services (54151), Computer Systems Design Services (541512)

SIC

Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370), Services-Prepackaged Software (7372), Services-Computer Integrated Systems Design (7373)

akta.pro primary industry

Application Maintenance & Support (AMS) (BPAEAFAC)

Keywords

• IBM i software solutions
• National registry software
• Municipal management systems
• Legacy system modernization
• Software distribution services

Headquarters

HQ city

Kópavogur

HQ country

Iceland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Software Distribution: Distribution of international software products (GoAnywhere, Halcyon, Interform, Presto, DeskAlerts, Strategi) for IBM i and Windows platforms in Iceland
2. Custom Software Development: Development of custom applications for IBM i customers in Iceland

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Ferli is an Icelandic software house and software distributor that develops and distributes IBM i (System i/AS/400) software solutions. The company develops national and municipal registry applications (Þjóðarsýn for national registry lookups and Íbúasýn for municipal resident management) and distributes international IBM i and Windows software products including InterformNG2, Strategi, Presto, GoAnywhere, Halcyon, and DeskAlerts to Icelandic municipalities and businesses.

Product overview

Ferli offers a portfolio of IBM System i solutions consisting of core data management products (Þjóðarsýn for national registry access and Íbúasýn for municipal citizen management), web enablement tools (Strategi for turning System i into web servers, Presto for green-screen-to-web modernization), document output management (InterformNG2), and distributed third-party software including GoAnywhere (secure file transfer), Halcyon (system monitoring), DeskAlerts (enterprise messaging), WebSmart/X-Analysis (development tools), and DataGate/AVR.net (database solutions). The offering functions as an integrated ecosystem where Þjóðarsýn and Íbúasýn serve as primary municipal data applications, while Strategi and Presto enable web access to IBM i data, and supporting tools like GoAnywhere and DeskAlerts extend enterprise capabilities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Þjóðarsýn (National View) Complete national registry lookup system providing Icelandic businesses and municipalities with access to population registry (Þjóðskrá), business registry (Fyrirtækjaskrá), and child custody registry (forsjárskrá) data, with daily, weekly, and monthly updates plus XML web services for system integration.
• Íbúasýn (Resident View) Resident management system designed exclusively for Icelandic municipal offices to manage citizen data, registrations, and resident-related administrative services, integrating with national registries through Þjóðarsýn.
• InterformNG2 PDF creation and document output management solution for IBM System i that runs on all servers, enabling organizations to generate and distribute electronic documents from their System i environment.
• Strategi Web enablement software that transforms IBM System i (AS/400) machines into internet servers, enabling websites to access data from System i databases using Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA) capabilities.
• Presto Web deployment solution that moves screen processing from IBM System i to the web without requiring program changes, presenting legacy green-screen interfaces in a modern web format for end users.
• GoAnywhere Encryption and secure file transfer system for IBM System i environments, enabling data distribution, secure file transfer, and data mirroring with monitoring capabilities.
• Halcyon System monitoring software for IBM System i environments, providing system management, performance monitoring, and operational oversight for enterprise servers.
• DeskAlerts Enterprise screen messaging system that sends popup alerts to all computer screens on a network, with Active Directory integration for enterprise deployment and cloud or on-premise deployment options.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered major, core and minor.

• DeskAlertsmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2021Ferli is a distributor of DeskAlerts since 2021. DeskAlerts allows sending screen messages to all computers where users must see them, with options for cloud or on-premise deployment.
• Fresche (formerly BCD Software)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2010Ferli has been a distributor of Presto, WebSmart, and X-Analysis from Fresche since 2010. Presto enables green screens to be displayed on the web without program changes.
• Advanced BusinessLink (ABL)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 1999Ferli has been a distributor of Strategi software from Advanced BusinessLink since 1999. Strategi transforms IBM System i machines into powerful Internet servers, enabling websites to access System i data.
• GoAnywhereminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGoAnywhere encryption and sending system - distributed by Ferli in Iceland
• HalcyonminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHalcyon monitoring system - distributed by Ferli in Iceland
• Interform / DatagateminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDevelopment tools for IBM i - distributed by Ferli in Iceland
• Robot / RobotHAminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorIBM i automation and high availability solutions - distributed by Ferli in Iceland

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• Rocket Software: Large enterprise software vendor with a broad IBM i portfolio spanning modernization, connectivity, and development tools. Comparable as a wider IBM i software incumbent; not niche-specialized to Iceland the way Ferli is.
• Fortra: Large cybersecurity and managed file transfer software company that owns GoAnywhere, HelpSystems, and Halcyon — three of the products Ferli distributes in Iceland. Comparable as a broad incumbent vendor that Ferli channels at country level.

Direct peers

• Advanced BusinessLink (ABL): Developer of Strategi, the IBM i web-server and SOA enablement product that Ferli distributes in Iceland. Comparable as a specialized IBM i software vendor with similar niche focus on System i data web enablement.
• LANSA: Provider of low-code application development tools with deep IBM i and RPG heritage. Comparable as a long-standing IBM i development tool vendor targeting modernization and integration use cases.
• Maxava: Vendor of high-availability and disaster-recovery solutions for IBM i (the category Ferli covers via Robot/RobotHA distribution). Comparable as a focused IBM i software provider serving the same System i customer base.
• Fresche Solutions: Vendor of Presto, WebSmart, and X-Analysis — the same IBM i modernization suite Ferli distributes in Iceland. Highly comparable as another IBM i-specialized software firm with overlapping product portfolio and customer base.
• ARCAD Software: IBM i DevOps, modernization, and application lifecycle tooling vendor. Closely comparable to Ferli in serving the same IBM i ecosystem with application development and modernization tooling.
• Profound Logic: Provider of Profound UI and other web-enablement tools for IBM i RPG and green-screen applications. Direct peer in the IBM i modernization niche that competes for the same modernization budgets.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

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 Ferli