Proximus NXT: 40 Years of Commitment to a Digital Luxembourg
Proximus NXT: 40 Years of Commitment to a Digital Luxembourg
Back in 1979, no one could have predicted the future of Proximus NXT Luxembourg. At the time, the company was born from the partnership between Proximus NXT Belgium — a telecommunications specialist seeking to support its international clients in Luxembourg — and ARBED, which was looking to diversify its activities. This marked the beginning of an incredible adventure that would accompany the profound transformation of Luxembourg’s economy.
“We were created to address industrial challenges,” explains Gérard Hoffmann, current Chairman of the Board and CEO of Proximus NXT Luxembourg. “The objective was to support the evolving connectivity needs of major economic players as well as institutions. At the time, Luxembourg’s economy was still largely based on the steel industry. The development of the financial sector came later, and no one could yet imagine the rise of a digital Luxembourg.”
New Synergies
The year 2019 marked the 40th anniversary of this flagship Luxembourg company and was also characterized by a major relocation. Proximus NXT moved from its historic headquarters in Strassen to the Bourmicht business area together with Tango.
“This move is highly symbolic,” says Gérard Hoffmann. “It represents the successful outcome of our strategy to integrate our activities with Tango under Proximus Luxembourg, enabling us to better support our clients in deploying existing technologies. This merger naturally aligns with the convergence of integrator and fixed/mobile operator activities.”
Although the brands Proximus NXT and Tango remained, all activities would now be operated under the single legal entity Proximus Luxembourg SA.
A Trusted Partner
Through this new organization, Proximus NXT aimed to continue the mission it had set itself forty years earlier: helping organizations evolve through technology.
“Digital technology is now everywhere, profoundly transforming our relationship with the world. Forty years ago, technology did not play the central role it has today. Professions are now evolving through digitalization. However, our role has always remained the same: to provide guidance and support to our customers so they can transform their business through technology,” adds Gérard Hoffmann.
To achieve this, Proximus NXT continuously adapted to address emerging customer challenges.
“In a context of digital transformation, organizations still need a trusted partner to help them implement technological solutions. That is where we create value. In the past, we were primarily a hardware systems integrator helping customers build robust IT environments. Since 2001, technological evolution has accelerated dramatically, notably through massive cloud adoption and the convergence of IT and telecommunications networks. While the major digital players have changed, we have remained the preferred interface between customer needs and technology providers,” explains Hoffmann.
Remaining True to Its Values
Over forty years, the company consistently supported digital evolution and the diversification of Luxembourg’s economy. After serving the steel industry, the IT service provider supported the growth of the financial sector through high-value services such as Managed Services.
Proximus NXT successfully navigated the many technological paradigm shifts of recent decades. Twenty years ago, few could have predicted the widespread adoption of cloud services. Even the iPhone is only a little over a decade old. Proximus NXT maintained its leading position within Luxembourg’s ICT ecosystem by adapting continuously and anticipating emerging needs.
“This 40th anniversary is above all a tribute to the vision and commitment of employees who were part of the adventure from the very beginning, including Armand Meyers, Jean-Jacques Beasch, and Guy Minella,” says Gérard Hoffmann. “The management team was later strengthened by Christian Haux, Jacques Ruckert, myself, and more recently Patricia Bettembourg and Jean-Luc Toussing. Their open-mindedness and commitment shaped what we are today.”
Through continuous self-reflection, strong investment in technology and skills, and a culture empowering employees, Proximus NXT became a trusted and essential player in Luxembourg’s economy.
Accelerating Digital Change
Over the years, Proximus NXT not only supported its clients but also worked closely with public authorities to foster a more digital economy.
In 2006, the creation of LuxConnect and the liberalization of the telecom market — enabling the arrival of new operators — represented a turning point in Luxembourg’s digital development.
“Thanks to state-of-the-art infrastructure, Luxembourg gradually positioned itself among Europe’s digital powers, attracting the attention of companies such as Google for major investments. Global telecom operators established themselves here to better serve their customers. Companies like PayPal and Amazon also chose Luxembourg,” comments Gérard Hoffmann.
As Luxembourg’s digital ecosystem expanded rapidly over the last decade, Proximus NXT also gained access to a more international customer base looking to establish operations in Europe from Luxembourg.
The company developed strong expertise in FinTech, cybersecurity, KYC solutions, and blockchain technologies, supporting major international players.
New Ambitions
The challenges facing Proximus NXT — and Luxembourg ICT more broadly — are no longer purely national. Together with Tango, the company now seeks growth on the European stage.
“With the same openness to the world shown by our founders, we continue to support change while expanding far beyond national borders,” says Gérard Hoffmann.
Today, Proximus NXT supports clients in migrating toward hybrid environments combining private cloud and public resources while ensuring governance and regulatory compliance. At the same time, the company is preparing customers for the era of artificial intelligence — the next major technological evolution.
Over four decades, Proximus NXT achieved remarkable growth:
- Around 70 employees in 1985
- 519 employees by the end of 2018
- 147% revenue growth between 2004 and 2018
As part of Proximus Luxembourg and alongside Tango, Proximus NXT now looks forward to many more successful decades ahead.
Key Milestones
- 1979 – Creation of Proximus NXT Luxembourg
- 1985 – Acquisition of Informalux microcomputing activities
- 1990s – Exceptional growth; turnover and workforce tripled
- 2001 – Strategic shift toward services and cybersecurity consulting
- 2004 – Obtained PSF (Financial Sector Professional) status
- 2006 – Acquisition by Belgacom Group (now Proximus)
- 2009 – Became a telecom operator
- 2011 – Launch of Proximus NXT Telecom operator activities
- 2014 – Exceptional growth year with +37% revenue increase
- 2016 – Proximus NXT and Tango joined forces under Proximus Luxembourg
- 2019 – Merger of Proximus NXT and Tango under Proximus Luxembourg SA
