History
Our story:
How it all began
The year is 1994: Sony introduces the first PlayStation, Jupiter is hit by the comet Shoemaker-Levy 9, the Eurotunnel between Calais in France and Folkestone in England is opened for passenger transport... and two business administration students from Osnabrück found a company during their studies - the forerunner of today's LM IT Services AG.
Parallel to their studies, Marc Liepe and Manuel Mummert give courses on MS-DOS, Word 4.0 and double-entry bookkeeping at educational institutions such as adult education centres. The LM IT history shows: The demand was great. So great, in fact, that the very next year the first fellow students joined them to run training courses alongside their studies and to cope with Liepe & Mummert GbR's ever-growing mountain of orders. What began as a small project rapidly developed into a growing company with more and more customers and increasing responsibility.
LM IT continues to grow
1996: While Greenpeace presents the Twingo SmILE, the first three-litre car, Oliver Bierhoff scores Germany's 95th-minute winner at Wembley and Fettes Brot releases Nordisch by Nature, Liepe & Mummert GbR already employs around 20 students for training sessions, acquires its first corporate customers in the region and achieves a turnover of DM 650,000. This expansion shows that Marc Liepe and Manuel Mummert are on the right track with their strategy - and the company is beginning to orientate itself towards an even more professional future.
In the right place at the right time - LM IT relies on Microsoft technologies
1997 and 1998: Marc Liepe and Manuel Mummert are on the spot when there is a gold-rush atmosphere around Microsoft technologies in the mid-nineties. Specialists can demand daily rates of up to DM 1,800. LM IT's predecessor company focussed on technically demanding topics - a logical step. New partners, including Claus Haase, join the company, the freelance trainer base is expanded, new customers are acquired in the consulting sector and the company finally moves into its first own offices. With this strategic orientation, LM IT's predecessor company lays the foundations for growth in the coming years and increasingly focusses on IT consulting.
LM IT strengthens itself for further growth
In 2002, Alexander Plato - now COO - starts as a trainee at LM IT and significantly expands the long-standing relationship with our most important customer Microsoft. Over the years, LM IT Services AG continues to develop, reaches numerous milestones, receives awards, opens new locations and service areas, develops innovative products and grows continuously. International networking also increases during this time, so that LM IT becomes increasingly recognised beyond Osnabrück.
LM IT celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2024. Over the years, we have grown, adapted, coped with setbacks and come back stronger - just like the Playstation, we've been around for a long time but are more up-to-date than ever.
History of LM IT Services AG
1994
Founding of Liepe & Mummert GbR while studying business administration.
After Marc Liepe and Manuel Mummert had already been teaching on a freelance basis for two years, they registered a business in the 5th semester instead of attending the Statistics II lecture. The first (nonsensical) purchase is several volumes of yellow pages to boost sales. The first promotional gifts are chocolate Santas at the Christmas market. The company headquarters is Manuel's one-room student flat.
The business area is end-user training on Microsoft products and accounting content. Courses such as MS DOS, Word 4.0 or double-entry bookkeeping for those changing over from the accounting system characterise the first few months of self-employment. Clients are adult education centres and trade union training providers in the region.
Interim result: 2 employees and a turnover of DM 100,000.
1995
The first fellow students join us to carry out training sessions alongside their studies.
Then as now, it is not just specialist knowledge that is decisive for the selection of employees - this is taught - but above all personality traits such as presentation skills, a desire to work with people, enthusiasm and not being afraid of new tasks and challenges. Everyone has contributed to the ambitious spirit of the start-up and has surpassed themselves from task to task.
And it works: Manuel Mummert and Marc Liepe receive good feedback, accept every follow-up order and at some point are faced with a mountain of orders with no idea who is supposed to process them. Structure is needed!
1996
The first corporate customers are acquired in the region.
Liepe & Mummert GbR employs around 20 students for training programmes alongside their studies. 650,000 DM turnover.
1997
Renamed Liepe, Mummert & Partner GbR
Two more partners join the company, including Claus Haase, who is still a member of the Management Board today and helps our customers achieve greater success through digitalisation strategies. A gold-rush atmosphere in terms of Microsoft technologies and possible daily rates of up to DM 1800 for specialists are reasons for focussing on technically demanding topics, taking on new shareholders and expanding the freelance trainer base.
Marc Liepe and Manuel Mummert complete their studies as business graduates. Afterwards, both gain experience in the business world at different times. Manuel Mummert joins Compunet in Hamburg for six months, while Marc Liepe continues to run the business. He then goes to RKK in Hamburg for one and a half years.
1998
Start of the consulting division:
Manuel Mummert's student flat gives way to the first "real" office space in Osnabrück at Kollegienwall 26. Trainers not only want to train, they also want to be deployed quickly in consulting projects. At the same time, our customers are increasingly asking for specialists to work on tricky tasks for their customers. The first customers in the consulting sector come from industry and trade. Logistics companies, banks, etc. follow. However, the main focus is on IT companies (T-Systems, Siemens Business Services, Networks Direkt, etc.).
1999
Liepe, Mummert & Partner GbR becomes a public limited company
The Neuer Markt is fuelling wild stock market fantasies: serious-looking bankers want to float LM on the stock exchange.
An 80-year-old notary seals the birth of LM IT Services AG with a complete lack of understanding as to how a team of business graduates can found an IT company.
Interim status: 19 employees & DM 2.0 million turnover
2000
Purchase of an approx. 570 square metre office building
With around 25 employees, we move into our new offices in Osnabrück at Hakenbusch 5, our current "old building".
2001
LM IT Services AG is an official pre-sales partner of Microsoft Deutschland GmbH.
2002
LM is a finalist in the Entrepreneur of the Year competition.
Alexander Plato, now Head of PreSales and Event Services and COO, starts as an intern at LM IT Services AG.
2003
Interim result: more than 75,000 training and project days
Since the group was founded, LM IT Services AG has organised more than 75,000 training and project days. And the trend is still rising.
2004
10th anniversary of LM IT Services AG. We celebrate with a company outing to Mallorca.
Winning the tender for the introduction and takeover of the Microsoft PLC (Partner Learning Centre). After a 3-month introductory period in Munich by Alexander Plato, LM IT Services AG takes over the service for events in the Microsoft partner area on 1 July 2004. This is the starting signal for the Events division, which now has around 40 employees.
2005
LM IT Services AG becomes Microsoft Certified Partner for Learning Solutions
Interim result: more than 100,000 training and project days
2006
LM IT Services AG becomes Premier Vendor of Microsoft
LM IT Services AG takes part in the global Microsoft Partner Conference in Boston for the first time and receives the MSVP Award for Service Excellence for the Tech@Night project.
2007
Office building extension
Construction of an extension at Hakenbusch 5, today's new building.
Record sales of more than € 10 million for the Group.
2008
Occupation of further office space
In order to accommodate the team for the expanding PLC project, additional office space is rented and occupied at Kamp 76.
Foundation of LM IT LLC in Bellevue, USA.
The start of a successful series of projects: LM IT Services AG organises the first Microsoft Server Summit in Munich.
2009
Foundation stone for our Digital Learning division
Thanks to the excellent cooperation between our Events division and Microsoft UK as part of the Partner Learning Centre, LM wins the Content Management Services project. The project starts with three employees for Microsoft UK, Italy, Russia, France and the Netherlands. We were commissioned by Microsoft EMEA to review the functions and localisations of what was then a new platform. We quickly familiarised ourselves with a new system and implemented all the adaptations with the help of native speakers.
Thanks to the team's ability to learn, can-do mentality and customer success orientation, we actively contribute to the success of the programme. Our Digital Learning department now comprises twelve team members and supports 22 countries under the leadership of Klaus Bockemühl-Simon. The online training format ILAPS is also launched.
2010
Foundation of the Development division
The Development division is founded. First projects: Microsoft (websites, Windows Phone Apps), Windows Server Expertise Club, Microsoft Event Networking App etc. The first major project is MyMDF, an internal Microsoft financial transaction and planning tool for advertising subsidies. Further major orders follow! Today, the development team comprises around 20 employees, and the trend is rising.
Further development of the ILAPS training format into TrainPath.
Interim status: 150 employees and 18.1 million turnover
2011
Company outing to Kitzbühel, Austria
Manuel Mummert suffers a legendary defeat against Simon Gausmann in snowboarding. Bet: Who will get down the piste unscathed? Neither of them had ever stood on a snowboard before.
Honoured as a Technology Fast 50 company.
2012
LM comes of age!
Foundation of Skillkom IT-Training und Services GmbH.
New company headquarters at Rheiner Landstraße 189.
Launch of our event web application EWA for and at the Microsoft German Partner Conference.
First PO from Microsoft with an order volume of over 1 million euros for the worldwide Azure University Roadshow 2012.
Interim result: 181 employees and 23.4 million sales
2013
Interim result: more than 300,000 training and project days
LM launches Microsoft cooperation with the skilled labour initiative, today's Job Scholarship.
Launch of our networking solution for participants and organisers of events, congresses and trade fairs: NetworksYou and successful first use at the Microsoft German Partner Conference (registration, accreditation, networking).
2014
LM wins the Osnabrück Business Award
Our NetworksYou product will once again be used as an online event platform at the Microsoft German Partner Conference (registration, accreditation, networking).
189 employees and 23.8 million sales
2015
Skilled labour initiative Job Scholarship records record figures
With the Job Scholarship we bring the right people together: Career starters and experienced professionals who are looking for a new challenge and companies who want to strengthen their (wo)man power.
The BA Group of Companies commissions our development team to create an ERP solution that will be used by practices throughout Germany.
2016
Redesign LM-Online
Reorganisation of LM into five divisions: Training, E-Learning, Development, Consulting and Events. Antje Henneke, Division Manager of the Events division, becomes the first female member of the Management Board and brings a breath of fresh air to the well-established male team.
Development of Meets4b, our service-based online meeting platform, as a prime example of successful collaboration between the areas of events, development, consulting and marketing.
2017
Introduction of Aliferus
Under the name Aliferus, we bring together the right people, strategies and solutions to make companies measurably more successful through digitalisation methods.
The ExpertZone Project generates record sales, e-learning and development have their hands full.
2018
ISO/IEC 27001 certification of our Development Division
Since 2013, the Job Scholarship Around 470 trainees were trained and successfully placed in 14 different specialisations. LM IT Services AG wins the register development programme for the Central Agency Packaging Register A Europe-wide invitation to tender with a 7-figure order volume was issued for the first time.
191 employees & 24.1 million turnover
2019
We celebrate our 25th anniversary year with all our employees in Berlin
It's time again for a new, fresh website redesign.
The EBC project will be continued and offers the opportunity to prove once again in the coming years that LM is the right partner for sophisticated, customised services.
Interim result: more than 500,000 training and project days
2020
Corona keeps the world on tenterhooks
Digitalisation is making great strides worldwide, including at LM. It turns out that we are also able to work 100 % from home. And while offices are emptying, our knowledge of digital communication is growing and that is paying off. Many of our customers benefit from the fact that we support them wholeheartedly in doing just that.
2021
Corona is still here...
...but so is LM IT Services AG. We have arrived in the new "normal". And while the first training and events are taking place in person again, our Managed Services division is receiving its first major orders in the areas focussing on operational and support tasks.
2022
LM in new splendour
After focussing increasingly on remaining and becoming fit for work in recent years, we need to reposition ourselves in 2022. A major redesign is on the cards, the external image will be completely reorganised and corporate communication will be rethought. This will also have an impact on LM's sales orientation.
2023
Shifting priorities to new customer business
Ralf Minning will come on board as the new CSO at the beginning of 2023 and will be responsible for Sales and Marketing. He will bring a new direction to the customer acquisition process. In the same year, we will introduce our ISMS365 a. A management system based on Microsoft technologies that makes it as easy as possible for our customers to secure their most valuable resources - their data.
2024
Happy Birthday to us! Again.
Incredibly, LM will be 30 years young in 2024. This needs to be celebrated and so all LM employees meet up for two unforgettable days in Hamburg. There are celebrations and lots of shared experiences and laughter. Behind the scenes, much more exciting things are happening, because after the external processes, the internal processes at LM are now being put to the test.
