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I recently had a chat with one of our US partners, who mentioned in passing that Ashampoo has now been around for 21 years and has certainly come of age. Since I generally tend to forget anniversaries, I wasn't aware of that. So I took a trip down my Ashampoo memory lane, which has been under construction for 13 years now, and reminisced about how it all started. Every now and then I get emails asking me to tell you more about Ashampoo and the people behind it–so here you go: Brace yourselves for pretty women, volcanoes and software in Low German.
My job interview was already something else. Other companies had given me several days advance notice but not Ashampoo! I was on vacation, on my balcony on a scorching 30 degree sunny day, when the phone started ringing. It was Ashampoo's PR director and he wanted to know whether I could be there in half an hour, there were no other appointment slots available he said. So I jumped, first under the shower and then into my suit, and set foot into the hallowed halls just in the nick of time–and slightly out of breath. The interview took place in meeting room number one, and it wasn't just the CEO who greeted me but an entire team of people. The idea was to give the final word not to the executives but the people who would actually be working with me. A smart move that I learned to truly appreciate later on. So I gave it my all during the interview, in my sweaty suit and with six pairs of eyes resting on me, and got the job.
From now on, I was a member of Ashampoo's QA department as well as the author of the program manuals. What would be a fairly regular job at other companies turned out to be a stepping stone towards all kinds of positions at Ashampoo. Our CEO, Sebastian Schwarz, originally started out the same way, and so did our director of sales. You were supposed to show what you were made of first and then advance to a different position, if appropriate. And there was no grace period either. I was thrown in at the deep end from day one: These are our programs, this is the help authoring tool, now get to work. In case you're still using UnInstaller 2: I'm sorry! The second half of the manual was my first ever help project! Before, I had worked for a fairly large, and slow, corporation, and it didn't take me long to notice the striking differences regarding company philosophies. At Ashampoo, we were few and like a family. Good ideas were heard and quickly implemented. There was little to no red tape, no planning committees or other impediments. Some projects were born during casual chit-chats and instantly took off once approved by the boss. Our offices were anything but sterile process-optimized high-tech environments. You were free to personalize your room to your liking, including the background music, and there was no timekeeping. This doesn't mean we were slacking off though, especially when a release deadline was fast approaching: Tempers flared, plenty of midnight oil was burned, and weekends weren't always off limits.
Software in Low German–made with love
Edgy characters have always shaped the face of Ashampoo. Our former PR director, Johann Lüppen, was a particular specimen. A full-blown East Frisian and fan of Low German, it was his heartfelt wish to add Low German support to the user interface of one of our current programs–an expression of his love for his region and, of course, a funny marketing project! But how do you translate modern IT lingo into the Low German dialect? We got help from Plattdütskbüro vun de Oostfreesche Landschop (Office of Low German of the Regional Association Ostfriesische Landschaft) that gave our Burning Studio 6 a general language overhaul. "Ashampoo Burning Studio" became "de Ashampoo-Brann-Stuuv 6"–with a lighthouse and coastline on the start page in the interest of style. A few hiccups popped up: Suddenly, parts of the regular Burning Studio were in Low German, there must have a been slight mix-up of language files, and especially South German customers expressed their puzzlement. Even though it never sold like hotcakes, the media response was huge and it felt like we had somewhat built a small monument to our home.
Ashampoo has a tradition of company outings, three to four-day events not just for celebration but to get to know your coworkers better. Upcoming projects are casually discussed without time constraints and team spirit is significantly strengthened. Our biggest adventure so far has been our 2010 trip to Iceland–including our escape home. Because, while we were thrilled to experience this beautiful country first hand, Eyjafjallajökull suddenly began spitting fire and ashes! We were blithely scampering around a volcanic lake when our bosses made a momentous decision: We had to get back home before flights would be banned, trapping us on the island. By the time we got to Reykjavík, it was already too late: All flights had been canceled. In what could be described as an organizational masterstroke, our then bosses Rolf Hilchner and Wilhelm Bogena quickly rented two buses headed for Akureyri, the last still open alternative airport.
Showdown with a mountain
The buses had no suspension. Our driver wore clogs and a big smile while he was putting the pedal to the metal, just barely staying ahead of the cloud of volcanic ash that was chasing us. It was an eerie sight. Our arrival again left us breathless: We were looking at an improvised refugee camp and a flood of people. After four hours of waiting in line at the security gate, we were finally allowed onto our plane–only to suffer another shocker: The runway was exceptionally short and sat between water on one and mountains on the other side. This is where a big airliner was supposed to take off? Things got a bit dicey. With the stern wheels almost in the water, our pilot went full throttle and into a steep ascend to make it somewhat across the mountains–and so did our heart rate! It took a while for us to settle down before a sleepless night took its toll. We made it and I almost kissed the ground in Amsterdam. Another outing got me the job of senior editor: I had written and sent around a whimsical text about a trip to Oslo–without any ulterior motive. That was apparently enough proof of talent and I moved into my new office a few weeks later. That's Ashampoo for you ladies and gentlemen!
Our sponsorship of the Miss Germany pageantry has always been one of our highlights. Ashampoo founder Rolf Hilchner's nose for profitable deals was still intact and our name prominently placed on the sash. The freshly-minted Misses always went on a PR tour after the show–and this included a visit to our company, of course. Completely unannounced, the door would open one day of the year and see a dazzling female beauty strut inside, leaving many a shy colleagues speechless with playful smalltalk. And even though it was mostly a PR stunt, we still took pride in "our" Misses, being still a small company and all. More surprising than any visit, however, was how new business ideas were born. You never knew which field they'd be coming out of. Here's an example: Two guys are sitting in a room bouncing and spitballing ideas on how to provide tailor-made customer mailings as a service to other companies. Is there a need for this? Could it be a viable business model? It sounds interesting so why not give it a go! This is how CleverReach, our sister company, was born–a success story in its own right.
Our new home
With continued growth, now including several sister companies and a staff of over 100, it was time to say goodbye to our old confined office building in Oldenburg. In 2019, we relocated to our new //CRASH building in Rastede–with bag and baggage. And even though, today, everything looks snazzy and processes have become a little more structured, we're keeping the old spirit alive. There are no strangers here and once you're on board, you won't be leaving any time soon. 21 years of adventure, friendship and software. May there be many more to come!
What I would like to know: When was the first time you heard the name Ashampoo?
Congratulations on turning 21. I have had an account since 2006, not sure when I first heard the name Ashampoo. I have bought probably half of the software that you have on offer. Most software I have upgraded multiple times. The software I have most issues with is the backup programs. I point the backup to another folder on another drive and when I need to reinstall, can never seem to locate the backup folder. Most of the software is intuitive,
well done 21 is a great milestone and i would like to say Ashampoo is my go to place for any new software i need you have it all in one place
many thanks and hears to the next 21 years
nigel oldale (Wales)
I see that you have had my email address since 2004 ! I'm nearly 89 now, so I must have been retired when I first heard the name of Ashampoo !
I have often wondered about the origin of the name. It makes me think of washing my hair !
I wish you all continued success for many many years.
Regards,
Graeme Stokes.
looks good
I heard about Ashampoo a few months ago (the year 2020) and I got astonished by the amount of programs this company offers. And I did something I normally don´t - almost never. I got caught by the company´s many Christmas offers and bought a lot of programs. That´s how life works. There a gains and losses, but if you never dare to take a risk you´ll miss the genious ones...
Well, apparently I did`nt read between the lines or maybe it was the company´s descriptions of the functionalities of the different programs that lacked important details...
I am not quite sure of that part...
But if the company has been around for 16 years selling software it should do better...
Here is a list of my experiences:
Ashampoo PDF Pro:
This program is not able to convert documents to PDF, only pictures. And it crashes and shut down when you try do otherwise, is does not just tell you that it can not.
On the other hand it is well working in the editing of PDF files. This way though it only is usefull as a supplement to other programs. Which means that we have to use more than one program to create and edit PDF files. Not the most efficient way to handle PDF.
Ashampoo Photo Command:
is claimed to be a Photo Editor Software. But again only partly...
If you want to edit photos in details you must also buy another program, Cutout (actual version 8) to be able to remove parts in a photo in the ordinary way...a function all most other photo editors have included in the same program.
So here again you have to have more than one program for editing the most ordinary things...in a way that is not more quick or different from all the other software.
Less efficient than it´s competitors.
Ashampoo Win Optimizer (version 18).
I bought this program and have used it a couple of times. Since I installed and used it my diagnostic tools from the producer of my laptop is reporting errors with different aspects of the hardware...so I am in doubt whether these errors are due to the Ashampoo program...they appeared shortly after I used the this and I have never experienced this kind of thing before...so...
I still miss to check out the Movie Studio, the Burning Studio and the Music Studio from Ashampoo in details due to the lack of time so far... but well...my expectations are low so if they crash too I am prepared...this way I don`t get that disappointed.
Anyhow, I am not blaming you and Your company for not full filling with the expectations of a semi professional guy within the multimedia branch but only my self. I will keep on going taking risks and looking for alternatives of software in the hope to find something more genious than the rest. And sometimes you gain, sometimes you looses.
Of course my recomendations to collegues and friends always depend on the results. And so far I do not feel confident with the Ashampoo software to recomend it´s software to others, most unfortunately.
I wish you a Happy New Year
Sincerely yours
Jakob B. Melbye, Denmark
Congratulations to all at Ashampoo. My first contract with Ashampoo was in July 1907 and it was the best thing I have ever done with Computers. I use only Ashampoo software where ever possible. My one wish is that Ashampoo would develop an Operating System so that I could be totally independent. Maybe that is a little far away but a smart program that could install and manage Linux would be great. I enjoy all the support your friendly team offer and I look forward to many mutually rewarding years ahead. Best Wishes.............Paul.................Australia
Not really sure, but my account is from 2004 so I guess that is when I got the first software from Ashampoo. My favourite software - or rather, the one I have been using all the time - is Snap. I have several other programs but who burns discs now? Congratulations on still being in business - so many smaller software companies dissapear, either going bust or being bought by larger corporations. Keep it up.
I firdt found out about Ashampoo from a free WinOptimizer given with a PC magazine ( paper one!) back in the 1990's i been usunG ashampoo products ever since. Long may you continue!
I liked the name when I ssaw it first time in 2016. Since then, I purchased a lot stuff online.
Only one bad feel when I purchased snap 10 and within a month you upgraded to snap 11.
I requested to upgrade my licence as a good gesture to promised customer, which got rejected.
I feel the demand was genuine. But it washed out customer loyalty like a shampoo.
Don't you feel if at my place.
According to our support, you purchased the program as part of a bundle and at a discount in September, before you asked for a free upgrade to the new version in December. This was not possible unfortunately, and you declined the price-reduced upgrade offer. That decision was entirely yours to make, of course, but I fail to see any misconduct on the part of my colleagues in this matter.
Have been using Ashampoo since its beginnings. Has a place in my Publishing, Audio, Video, Photography, Utilities, and Computer care Folders.
User friendly but up to date software that becomes mine after purchase with free updates and inexpensive upgrades.
Support always available.
I congratulate Ashampoo on its 21st birthday and 20 million customers, and wish you success and good luck in everything!
Hi Sven,
Thank you for your adventure story and I have been using Ashampoo products since I saw the name and investigated further.
As my wife takes a great interest computing she saw the word Ashampoo on my computer and asked my why I was searching for hair care products .. :-)
Since that day I have used Ashampoo computer products in preference to other suppliers products whenever possible.
Tôi mới biết cách đây vài ngày khi đi tìm bộ Microsoft office thì được giới thiệu sản phẩm của Ashampoo. Tôi rất vui vì được làm quen với quý vị.
Thân ái.
You sound like a good company to work for. I'm going to college now for my BS in Computer Science with a specialty in Software Engineering. The way you talk about the company, it sounds like someplace I'd like to be.
You have good products. However, I wish that there was some way that I could reduce (not eliminate but reduce) the number of e-mails that I get from you. Seems like I get one per day. A once per week summary would be much better.
Jsem laický uživatel senior v důchodu a vaše programy používám více než 10 let. Jsem velmi spokojena, pomáhají mi při mé nezkušenosti. Bohužel, v poslední době Microsoft u Windows10 někdy blokuje instalaci vašich programů a je mi to líto. Přesto však se mi daří uchovat programy instalované dříve. Jak už zde bylo napsáno, líbí se mi jméno Ashampoo - ocením ho zvláště jako žena.
Děkuji, že existujete.
I imagine I heard about Ashampoo in 2003, as I have an invoice for AudioCenter dated 18-July-2003. There's been plenty of purchases since then as I really like the products. Snap is one of my favorites, though when I was still burning CDs/DVDs, Burning Studio was the best.
Very interesting. I think I first started using Ashampoo around 2010-2011 and have had a very run with your products.I am still using 8 of them every day Thank You. Peter Worrall
It's so long ago since I discovered Ashampoo software Moses delivered the programme on tablets. Well maybe not a tablet but definitely an old PC, probably an Intel 286, 20 years ago. I recently pre ordered your new Backup 15 and the email letting me know the programme was available to download summed it up nicely. You thanked me for my trust in pre ordering the programme and on my part there was never a doubt you would deliver an improved offering. I have Yiggles aplenty but whilst they're greatly appreciated I also appreciate the fact you look after your existing users with special upgrade pricing. I buy from you because I want to support your company and here's to the next 25 years.
First time heard ashampoo through ashampoo Windows optimizer.. more helpfull in improving performance my computer was at the low spec
Burning Studio 8 was my first experience, then your Snap 3 program.
I use Snap 11 almost everyday. Love the ocr feature.
Took photo of old blue prints and used the ocr to speed up the SAP numbers of the equipment on the roof.
Also use Textmaker on a thumb drive, will use it on industrial computers to collect screen dumps to make instructions presentations.
My wife studies German and uses your textmaker and Snap everyday too.
Thanks Sven for sharing! I have been a big fan of your products since probably 2001! Danke for being there! I am a geographer and I do remember the Iceland volcano eruption in 2010 and you lived it up close and personal !
All best wishes to Ashampoo in the future!
i have using ashampoo software for many years and have been very well satisfied. i hope for many more years with them.
I installed my first Ashampoo application 'Movie Shrink and Burn' on the 22nd January 2006 and since have pretty much every one of your products plus many from associated companies. I can't remember how I first came across Ashampoo but I suspect it was after reading reviews. Ashampoo consistently produce good apps that I make full use of and I have always found them very helpful when help was required. I'm getting pretty old now and my computing days which started way back when the net was something your Grandmother put on her head and we communicated via a BBS won't be going on much longer I'm sure, perhaps a Will Writing app might be my next purchase from Ashampoo, well you never know
The first time I heard of Ashampoo was when some programs appeared on a computer I bought from Aldi's about 6 years ago and I have been using a few of your programs ever since Until Microsoft deleted most of them when I had to reinstall Windows. It said they were supposed to be saved. I have since reinstalled some.