Jabra's story is older than almost any brand in tech — it runs back to an 1869 telegraph company that once wired Europe to the Far East. Along the way the names pile up confusingly: GN, GN Store Nord, GN Netcom, Jabra. If you've ever wondered whether Jabra and GN Netcom are the same thing, or who actually owns Jabra, here's the clear version.
Quick answer
Last updated July 2026
Is Jabra the same as GN Netcom?
Yes — Jabra is the current name of what used to be GN Netcom. GN Netcom was the headset division of Denmark's GN Group; after it acquired the American headset company Jabra in 2000, GN gradually adopted "Jabra" as the single global brand for its headsets, retiring the GN Netcom name for consumers around 2009. A headset labeled GN Netcom and a modern Jabra headset come from the same company.
That's why you still see "GN Netcom" on older equipment and in part numbers — it's the same lineage, just an earlier name. The genuinely surprising part is that the two names started as two entirely separate companies on two different continents.
From a telegraph company to headsets: the GN story
The corporate story begins in 1869, when Danish industrialist Carl Frederik Tietgen founded the Great Northern Telegraph Company in Copenhagen, with the audacious goal of connecting Europe to the Far East by telegraph line through Russia. That company still exists today as GN Store Nord — the parent of Jabra.
The headset business came much later. In 1987, GN spun off a new division, GN Netcom, from its hearing-aid company GN Danavox (today GN ReSound). The idea was simple: the acoustic and microphone expertise built for hearing aids could be applied to professional communications. GN Netcom's first product was the Stetomike, and the division went on to claim a string of industry firsts — among them the first noise-cancelling microphone, the first single-cord binaural headset, and the first headset with a built-in amplifier.
The Jabra acquisition: an American brand joins a Danish company
Jabra didn't start in Denmark at all. It was founded in the United States in 1983 by the inventor Woody Norris, based in San Diego, and made its name on early mobile-phone headsets. In 2000, GN Netcom acquired Jabra to strengthen its position in mobile and consumer headsets — bringing an American brand into a Danish company.
Myth
Jabra has always been a Danish company.Reality
It hasn't. Jabra was founded in the United States in 1983 and built its early reputation on American mobile-phone headsets. It only became Danish-owned when GN Netcom acquired it in 2000. GN liked the Jabra name so much that in 2006 it consolidated its office and contact-center headsets under the Jabra brand, then around 2009 adopted Jabra globally for everything — so the American name ended up replacing the Danish one. Jabra is American in origin, Danish in ownership.By the late 2000s, GN had unified its whole headset portfolio under the single Jabra name, and GN Netcom's headset division became known as GN Audio — the division that still owns Jabra today.
The modern era: Evolve, Engage, and beyond
Under the Jabra brand, GN Audio moved from call-center headsets into the office and hybrid-work mainstream. The turning points:
- 2014 — Jabra Evolve: the line that brought active noise cancellation and busylights to the open office, and became a UC standard.
- 2016 — VXi and BlueParrott: GN Audio acquired both, adding value corded headsets and the trucker-favorite BlueParrott Bluetooth line built for high-noise environments.
- 2018 — Jabra Engage: the DECT wireless family for desk phones, with a high-density chipset letting far more headsets share one office.
- 2019 — Jabra PanaCast: a 180-degree 4K conferencing camera, marking GN's move into video.
- 2020 — Jabra Evolve2: the pandemic-era refresh of the Evolve line for remote workers, from the corded Evolve2 30 up to the 10-mic, ANC-equipped Evolve2 85.
- 2021–2022 — Evolve2 75, PanaCast 20, Evolve2 Buds: filling out the range with a slimmer flagship, a personal 4K webcam, and professional earbuds.
Many of those lines are still current. The Jabra Evolve2 65 remains a hybrid-work staple, and the Jabra Engage 65 SE is the current version of the Engage desk-phone line. You can browse the full current range on the Jabra headsets collection.
Jabra today
Jabra now sits within GN Audio, one of two divisions of GN Group — the other being GN Hearing, home to the ReSound and Beltone hearing brands that trace back to the same GN Danavox roots as the headsets. The company that started by wiring continents together in the 19th century now makes headsets, earbuds, and video bars sold in more than 100 countries.
For a buyer, the practical takeaway is simple: whether your gear says GN Netcom or Jabra, it comes from the same long-established company, and current models carry that lineage forward. If you're choosing between them, our guide to choosing a wired headset walks the decision.
Is Jabra the same company as GN Netcom?
Yes. GN Netcom was the headset division of Denmark's GN Group, and after it acquired the American company Jabra in 2000, GN adopted the Jabra name for all its headsets around 2009. GN Netcom and Jabra are the same company — Jabra is simply the current brand name. Older equipment may still carry the GN Netcom name.
Who owns Jabra?
Jabra is owned by the GN Group (formally GN Store Nord), a Danish company listed on Nasdaq Copenhagen, through its GN Audio division. GN has owned Jabra since acquiring it in 2000. The same group's GN Hearing division owns the ReSound and Beltone hearing-aid brands, all tracing back to a telegraph company founded in 1869.
Where was Jabra founded, and when?
Jabra was founded in the United States in 1983, in San Diego, by inventor Woody Norris, and made its early name on mobile-phone headsets. It was acquired by the Danish company GN Netcom in 2000. So while Jabra is American in origin, it has been Danish-owned for over two decades.
What is the difference between GN Netcom and GN ReSound?
Both are divisions of the Danish GN Group, split from the same origins. GN Netcom — now Jabra, under GN Audio — makes professional headsets, earbuds, and video devices. GN ReSound, under GN Hearing, makes hearing aids. GN Netcom was originally spun off from the hearing-aid business (GN Danavox) in 1987.
Does Jabra still make GN Netcom headsets?
Jabra makes the headsets that GN Netcom used to make — the name changed, not the company. Current lines include the Jabra Evolve2 series for hybrid work, the Engage series for desk phones, and PanaCast video devices. Older GN Netcom-branded models are discontinued, but they share the same lineage as today's Jabra products.
From a 19th-century telegraph line to a hybrid-work headset on your desk, it's an unusually long thread — but the answer to the question most people arrive with is short: Jabra and GN Netcom are the same company, owned by Denmark's GN Group since it bought the American Jabra brand in 2000. To see where that heritage stands today, browse the current Jabra headsets range, or read how the story compares with its great rival in our history of Plantronics headsets.
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