Kolab Now Logo PNG
The Kolab Now logo reflects the brand’s business focus. This is an email client with advanced functionality, including a few additional useful services. Therefore, the visual identity is distinguished by originality and a fresh look at the standard service to increase its popularity.
Kolab Now traces its roots to the early 2000s, when German developers created Kroupware, an open system for corporate collaboration. The project involved German public institutions seeking a transparent groupware tool outside of proprietary software. It led to Kolab, a free open-source suite for email, calendars, contacts, and tasks, built on IMAP, CalDAV, CardDAV, and LDAP.
In 2004, Kolab Konsortium was formed to provide commercial support, mainly in German-speaking markets. In 2010, Zurich-based Kolab Systems AG became its successor. The company was led by Georg Greve, former founder and president of Free Software Foundation Europe, with Jeroen van Meeuwen, Michael Moser of Adfinis AG, and Philipp Koch of Nine.ch on the board.
The public beta of MyKolab appeared in January 2013, and on August 1, 2013, it became a paid service. Its profile changed after Edward Snowden’s revelations about PRISM and Tempora. While Lavabit and Silent Mail shut down under pressure in the United States, Kolab Systems gained attention as a Swiss-based privacy alternative. Its servers were placed in Switzerland, where user data required authorization from a Swiss court.
By September 1, 2015, Kolab Now reported one fulfilled government request, limited to customer information rather than message content. Two U.S. local requests were rejected. In 2015, Kolab Systems raised about $103,000 for Roundcube Next, but the update was never completed, drawing criticism. Later, MyKolab became Kolab Now, while Kolab Systems AG was renamed Apheleia IT AG. Its main privacy email rivals are ProtonMail and Tuta (formerly Tutanota).
Meaning and History
Kolab Systems AG (future Apheleia IT AG) emerged in 2010, the successor to the earlier (2004) Kolab Konsortium, which had worked in German Internet security services. The main activity is creating software for group work. The first version of the mail client (MyKolab) was released in 2013.
The company logo is minimalistic and consists of the name of the email client: Kolab Now. Visually, the inscription is divided into two words, each painted in its own color.
What is Kolab Now?
Paid email service with business group tools. Functioning since 2013. Developed in Switzerland and owned by Apheleia IT AG, formerly Kolab Systems AG.
Kolab is a brand of a set of programs that guarantee safety in use. Its logo features an O shaped like a nucleus, with electrons flying around. The mail client consistently emphasized the same letter to indicate that the mail service belongs to the Colab set.
The second letter of the word does not have a solid line. It is shaped as an open circle with a gap at the bottom, symbolizing open-source code, a feature of all products in the set. It allows anyone to check the software for tracers.
This stylization divides the word Kolab into three parts:
- K is short for the Swedish word for code (koden).
- O – open (öppen).
- Lab – laboratory (laboratorium).
Therefore, the first word of the logo is an encrypted message conveying the essence of the product: “open source laboratory.” The mail client was developed in a laboratory where open-source software is created. This emphasis was especially important after 2013, when there was information about the total surveillance of people by the US government through popular computer programs used worldwide. Colab keeps its servers in Switzerland, where US law does not apply. Therefore, it can provide a secure email. In Switzerland, strict privacy laws and permission to release personal data are rare. In Kolab Now, such a request was granted only once in the history of email.
The second part of the Now logo translates as “currently.” It points to the current version of the software, since the program is an update to Kolab, which was first developed in 2002.
Font and Colors
The colors used for the logo are yellow, gold, and dark grey.
The golden hue in the word “Colab” conveys the use of the “gold standard” for software, prioritizing maximum security, openness, and usefulness. Also, the color indicates a paid service. Yellow is the color of the sun, warmth, and joy. Any contact with the email client leaves you in a good mood thanks to its flawless performance and thoughtful interface.
Gray is a shade of the word Now, indicating solidity. Under the modern email client is a large-scale base from past versions. Thanks to this, the program is as convenient as possible.