Think further
Stay ahead
IPRO as a company
We assist you from the start
IPRO is the partner for opticians and audiologists with intelligent and future-oriented software and hardware solutions that enable users to operate their system in their own individual way. We accompany our customers from the processing and handling of the existing to the development of new business ideas. IPRO is built on a ready-made and immediately usable framework of solutions and applications, which can be adapted to the wishes, goals and ideas of our customers.
It is important to us to accompany the digitisation process closely and personally. This is what we all stand for – especially the regional IPRO consultants and the central service hotline in Leonberg.
Our history
IPRO GmbH was founded in 1977 by Manfred Gärtner, and in 1980 the decision was made to develop a program for opticians. The programming of the first version still starts under the operating system CP/M. Two years later, IPRO GmbH acquired its first IBM PC. This marked the beginning of the development of IPRO-Optik, the first successful product for opticians. Martin Himmelsbach and Thomas Barth were among the first developers from 1981 and 1982. In 1988, the decision was made to enter the field of audiology. In cooperation with the Hamburg based audiologist Peter Welm, we connected and integrated his own solution PW-Akustik gradually into IPRO-Optik.
In 1992, IPRO GmbH was taken over by the internationally oriented Haag-Streit Group. The founder, Manfred Gärtner, retired. The founding developers Thomas Barth and Martin Himmelsbach took over the management. This was followed by the first installation of the French- and English-language IPRO optics version and, in 1998, the first winIPRO module, which had a graphical user interface. In the following years all programs and functions were replaced by new winIPRO developments. In addition, new foreign language versions in Dutch and Hungarian were created, as well as a wealth of interfaces to the various devices and consulting solutions used by the soon to be over 2000 users.
By integrating board systems such as STARS from Luxottica or SMILE from Safilo, IPRO further extended its innovation leadership. With the revision of the winIPRO contact lens module in 2020, contact-lens-only practices are now also in the direct focus of IPRO consultants.
As of 2008, in-practice services became a fundamental part of IPRO’s offering. In 2014, not only the eighth version of winIPRO was released, but also PASKAL 3D, a revolutionary 3D implementation of conventional refraction. This was followed by the nomination for the Silmo d’or in 2015. Since 2018, IPRO GmbH is now part of Metall Zug AG. IPRO GmbH decided to expand at an early stage. In 1982, the company entered the market in Luxembourg, Austria and Switzerland. Over the years the linguistical functions were improved and the Netherlands, France, Hungary, Italy, Belgium, Spain, England and Northern Ireland were added.
In the meantime, more than 3000 companies in optometry and audiology work with winIPRO. More than 50 employees take care of development, sales and service on a daily basis. In addition, the company also launched new products and ideas such as brillen-online.de and MyEyeTrainer and is pursuing numerous lines of development in various project groups together with winIPRO users.
7 good reasons
Make the change!
- Start small: You can start small and expand later without limits – to include more workstations, additional branches or new application modules. We will provide you with advice and support to optimally adapt the winIPRO modules to your current situation.
- IPRO is future-proof: Valuable service and security modules, supplemented by powerful support and maintenance packages, guarantee your long-term use of winIPRO. Whether you prefer the personal route or the connection via the Internet – the process is precisely tailored to your individual service package. At the same time, we are constantly working to optimise and improve our software and, of course, to develop new modules and services.
- IPRO consultants: Our sales consultants know optometry from the ground up – because they come from the optometry business. This allows you to talk about your topics at eye level and avoid wasting time unnecessarily. In short: less effort for more result.
- Modular principle: From the almost unlimited possibilities of winIPRO, we work closely with you to put together a package perfectly tailored to your requirements and your operational procedures.
- 3,000 users: In more than 35 years, more than 3,000 opticians and audiologists have chosen IPRO. For good reasons.
- IPRO works for you. IPRO does the wok for you – if you want it. Via modules such as winIPROclub management, customer advertising, contact lens or ordering – via interfaces to almost all devices in the workshop and refraction. In short: IPRO expands your range of services and saves money and time – e.g. for sales and advice.
- Finances itself: We have the right financing model for your situation – talk to us about rental and financing options and package prices that will surprise you. For example, we offer attractive start-up packages for newcomers to make your entry into the IPRO universe easier.