ICE Systems, LLC, an innovative software and hardware company focusing on reliable and economical computing solutions for small to medium-sized businesses, serves a four-state region from Kansas City, Kansas. Its offerings include a popular specialized server appliance, known as the ICEBox, which delivers critical networking capabilities at an economical price. To keep the cost of the ICEBox reasonable, ICE Systems needed flexible, reliable software that could be customized to each machine, depending on a client's needs.

Just before founding ICE Systems, Stefan Zauchenberger had discovered Cybernet Systems' NetMAX software. He successfully used it to switch his employer's server from Windows NT to a Linux platform.

Zauchenberger found that many of his clients used Microsoft Windows because of its recognizable brand name, but using Windows as an operating platform proved to be cost prohibitive – especially for a growing business that needed to purchase additional licenses for users. In addition, many NetMAX systems are easy to use, allowing even the most unsophisticated user to set up a server in as little as 15 minutes – without any additional licensing requirements.

Zauchenberger was so impressed with the software's ease that NetMAX became key to realizing his dream of offering an economical server to ICE Systems clients.