Building the Home of Messaging Technology

Fabrizio: My business journey started with a strong belief in the power of the browser – long before “the cloud” was even a concept. Back in the late 1990s, during the dot-com boom, I couldn’t understand why software needed to be installed locally on a computer when it could simply run online. At that time, I was working first in a software company and later in telecom, but I always felt drawn to the idea of creating something on my own.

So, I decided to take the leap and build a browser-based software, what we would call cloud-based software today. Of course, that term didn’t exist back then – it was known as ASP (Application Service Provider) – but the idea was the same. The first project we developed was a campaign platform for sending SMS messages, which I often describe as the godfather of HORISEN Business Messenger.

I started from the ground up – just me, one programmer, and a lot of determination. I paid for the development out of my own salary, and after a few months, I decided to go all in. No investors, no external funding – just confidence, passion, and the willingness to take a risk. It wasn’t easy, but I believed in the idea and in my ability to make it work.

From the very beginning, HORISEN has been self-funded and privately owned, and that independence is something I’m particularly proud of. It has allowed us to grow on our own terms and stay true to our vision – something that hasn’t changed to this day.

2. So, what was your vision back then?

Fabrizio: Back then, my vision was innovative and ambitious – to simplify messaging through technology. As I said, my first goal was to build a marketing tool that allowed companies to send SMS campaigns easily, directly through the browser, without any software installation.

It might sound obvious today, but at that time, it was a completely new idea. Cloud services weren’t common, and SMS was considered something trivial – many people saw it as a toy for kids, not a business tool. So, yes, looking back, it was quite a visionary and brave move to bet on both: cloud and SMS.

In the beginning, it wasn’t easy. I had to be very persistent because most people didn’t see the potential. But I truly believed in it – I often say I felt like a priest on a mission, preaching about something nobody else believed in yet.

That core vision – making messaging simple, accessible, and available anytime, anywhere – has remained the same ever since. Today, it’s exciting to see how the industry has evolved in that direction, and how the concept that once seemed far ahead of its time is now at the very heart of communication technology.

3. What was the most challenging part of the company’s development process and what is HORISEN nowadays in the entire telco ecosystem?

Fabrizio: The most challenging part has definitely been managing growth – not just in terms of business size, but also in maintaining the technological foundation that could keep up with it. As HORISEN grew, so did the volume, the complexity, and the expectations. We had to make sure our systems could support billions of messages while staying fast, reliable, and secure. That balance between innovation and stability was, and still is, one of the toughest challenges in our industry.

To achieve this, we recoded our software several times, always optimizing and building on our own experience. Over the years, we even built our own cloud infrastructure, which gave us full control and efficiency over our solutions. That independence allowed us to evolve without compromise and to stay true to our vendor-neutral philosophy – something that became especially important in 2017, when we restructured part of the business to protect that independence.

Looking back, it was a demanding process, but it shaped who we are today. HORISEN is now recognized as the Home of Messaging Technology – a market leader for mobile operators with a complete Messaging Ecosystem that covers the entire value chain of messaging. From software that enables messaging companies to run their entire business to tools that help them optimize and scale, we’ve positioned ourselves at the heart of the telco ecosystem – driving connectivity through innovation, reliability, and transparency.

4. Tell us something you are proud of.

Fabrizio: There are several things I take great pride in when I look back at HORISEN’s journey. What began as an idea running on a single server has grown into a global platform powering hundreds of servers, serving hundreds of clients, and processing billions of messages. It’s rewarding to see how something that started modestly has grown into a strong and trusted platform.

But what makes me even prouder is the people behind it. Watching our team grow over the years – not just in numbers, but in expertise and confidence – is truly rewarding. Many of our colleagues have been with HORISEN for more than a decade, some even twenty years, and seeing how they’ve evolved into top professionals and leaders in their fields is one of the greatest satisfactions I have as a founder.

I’m also proud of the trust our customers place in us. Knowing that many of them build their businesses and sustain their operations on top of our technology to pay salaries, support their families, make their everyday living, help their children pursue education etc. – gives me a deep sense of responsibility and pride. We’ve created an environment of reliability and loyalty, where both our people and our partners can grow and thrive together.

5. What are your plans nowadays?

Fabrizio: We still have plenty of ideas – and that’s what keeps us innovative. The drive to improve, to challenge ourselves, and to go beyond what’s expected has always been part of HORISEN’s DNA. I’m not the kind of person who’s ever fully satisfied with the current situation; there’s always room to make things better, faster, and more efficient. That passion for innovation is what continues to fuel us.

Right now, we’re investing heavily in building the foundation for the next decade of HORISEN. We’re moving to a new, third data center, designed with the latest technology to create a next-generation cloud environment. This infrastructure will allow us to deliver even higher performance and reliability for our customers.

This year has already been a milestone one for us – in 2025, we successfully launched three new platforms: MNP, STP, and Inventory Platform, and introduced a wide range of new features and improvements across our existing infrastructure – SMS Platform, Business Messenger, and SS7 Platform.

We’ve always believed in investing ahead of time – not just meeting expectations but exceeding them. That’s why we’re not afraid to overinvest when it means creating something truly future-proof.

From a business perspective, we’re also expanding geographically. Our next big focus is the Latin American market, where we’re opening new offices and growing our team. This expansion reflects our long-term strategy to bring HORISEN’s technology and expertise closer to partners around the world.

In short, our plans are simple and ambitious as always – to keep innovating, keep growing, and keep setting new standards for messaging technology.

6. How do you see our Industry’s future and why?

Fabrizio: I see a bright future for our industry. I know some people like to paint a doomsday picture – “SMS is dead,” “everything’s moving elsewhere” – but I’m not buying it. When I look at our customer base, I see the opposite: their businesses are growing, their traffic is increasing, and demand for reliable messaging technology remains strong.

Of course, the market is evolving. New communication channels are emerging, and change is happening –  just not as fast or dramatically as some like to predict. It’s a gradual shift, and as an industry, we need to adapt. The future will belong to those who can seamlessly integrate omnichannel communication, and we are already fully participating in that transformation.

I also believe we’ll see a shift in perspective: messaging will increasingly be driven by marketing and customer experience teams, not just by traditional telecom professionals.

The industry will become more creative, more experience-driven, and, I believe, more human in the way it connects people and brands.

This interview was published at MORE>NEWS, a trusted source for industry news.