In the competitive landscape of European aviation, Smartwings stands as a testament to strategic growth and operational excellence. Founded in 1997, the company has transformed from a regional carrier into the Czech Republic’s largest airline, orchestrating flights to over 80 countries across the globe. With an annual passenger count exceeding 5 million, Smartwings has become an indispensable force in Central European aviation, serving not only holiday travelers but also partnering with international corporations, humanitarian missions, and sports organizations. As a certified member of the International Air Transport Association (IATA), the airline’s unwavering commitment to safety and punctuality has established new benchmarks in regional aviation excellence.
IceWarp Results
Active enterprise mailboxes managed daily
Years of successful system implementation
Countries served across global operations
Annual passengers relying on seamless communications
The Challenge
In the early 2000s, Smartwings faced a pivotal moment in its digital infrastructure strategy. As Central Europe’s rapidly expanding airline, the company found itself at a crossroads common to many growing enterprises: the mounting costs of legacy systems were increasingly at odds with their ambitious expansion plans. Microsoft Exchange, while industry-standard, had become a significant financial burden that threatened to impede the airline’s agile growth trajectory.
The challenge was multifaceted. First, there was the pressing need to maintain enterprise-grade communication reliability—essential for coordinating operations across 80+ countries—while drastically reducing IT overhead. Second, the airline needed to ensure that any transition would be seamless enough to maintain their high standards of customer service and operational efficiency. Most critically, as the company expanded from managing 100 to over 1500 mailboxes, they needed a solution that could scale without proportionally scaling costs.
For an airline handling over 5 million passengers annually, any compromise in communication infrastructure wasn’t merely an inconvenience—it was a business risk they couldn’t afford to take. The strategic imperative was clear: find a solution that could deliver enterprise-level reliability without the enterprise-level price tag.
Why We Partner
with IceWarp
In 2003, Smartwings discovered what would prove to be a transformative alternative to Microsoft Exchange. IceWarp offered exactly what the growing airline needed: enterprise-level email functionality without the hefty price tag that typically accompanies such solutions.
The implementation exceeded expectations on multiple fronts:
Seamless Growth Support What began as a solution for 100 employees seamlessly scaled to accommodate over 1,500 active mailboxes, matching Smartwings’ impressive expansion across two decades. The platform’s adaptability proved essential as the airline grew to serve over 80 countries and 5+ million annual passengers.
Technical Excellence The transition delivered immediate and lasting benefits:
- Zero-friction deployment
- Unified email management
- Minimal staff training requirements
- Round-the-clock technical support
After 20 years of reliable service, Smartwings’ IT Manager reflects: “We’ve used it for 20 years now, and we’re still going strong. If you’re looking to replace one of its expensive competitors, you’re sure to appreciate IceWarp’s better pricing and consistent features.”
As a certified IceWarp partner, we at Forscope understand why enterprises like Smartwings choose and stick with this solution.
The Results
- Successful scaling from 100 to 1500+ active mailboxes
- 20 years of continuous, reliable email service
- Significant cost savings compared to Microsoft Exchange
- Zero-friction IT management with consolidated email infrastructure
- Most importantly, the airline's two-decade commitment to IceWarp has supported their growth from a regional carrier to the Czech Republic's largest airline, now serving 5+ million passengers annually across 80+ countries.
