“GonoPBX? What does that even mean?” – that’s usually the first reaction when people hear the name. It doesn’t sound like a typical software project, and that was never the plan. The story is actually quite simple.
PBX – the obvious part
PBX stands for Private Branch Exchange – a private phone system. That’s exactly what GonoPBX is at its core: software that routes calls, manages extensions, and assigns numbers. That part of the name was obvious.
Gono – the personal touch
Gono comes from my first name. I’m Norbert – and friends call me Nobby. It’s a nickname I’ve had for years. At some point I registered the domain gonobby.de as a personal domain, without any particular plan.
When I started tinkering with the phone system, I needed a name. And it clicked: Go + Nobby + PBX – GonoPBX. Short, memorable, and with a personal story behind it.
Not a marketing name
GonoPBX isn’t a brand name crafted by a branding agency. It was created in five minutes at my kitchen table. And that fits the project: a hobby project from Bremen, not a Silicon Valley startup. The name can be a little unconventional.
Also, nobody had registered gonopbx.de. That might have been the best argument.
Fun fact: The domain gonobby.de still exists. And who knows – maybe it will be used for something else one day.