BTS is part of the KVSA (Royal United Shipping Agents). After the opening of the North Sea Canal (linking Amsterdam to the North Sea) in 1876, it was KVSA that arranged contacts between ships that were entering the canal and ship owners and merchants on shore. At first, messages were taken to and from the ships by rowing-boat, but soon Telex took over.

In 1970, KVSA incorporated maritime messaging into a separate divisioncalled BTS. BTS quickly developed into a large-scale provider of Telex, fax, SMS and e-mail messaging services, working primarily for businesses where it is vital to be able to send messages quickly and reliably.

As well as its BTS division, KVSA has a Logistics division for the maritime sector and a Travel division with various travel agencies. It also operates the Felison Terminal in IJmuiden.