Leading Linux-Based Collaboration Server Now Available Under General Public License

OLPE, Germany, Aug. 30 /PRNewswire/ -- Netline Internet Service announced today that the free, GPL version of its Open-Xchange Server, the core technology underlying the industry's top-selling Linux-based groupware, collaboration, and messaging application is now available for download at (http://www.Open-Xchange.org and http://www.openexchange.com).

Open-Xchange Server, the engine behind Novell's SUSE LINUX Openexchange Server (NOVL), is a modular, standards-based communications tool that provides businesses with flexible groupware functions including e-mail, calendar, contacts, tasks and real-time document storage.

"We've had an amazing response to our decision to release this code under the GPL -- with more than 300,000 visits to our site in the first two days alone and thousands of requests for code and developers joining our developer program," said Frank Hoberg, chief executive officer, Netline Internet Service. "Now the product can experience the true dynamics of the open source community."

The open source version of Open-Xchange features most of the award-winning attributes of the commercial product -- running on the major Linux operating systems (Novell's SUSE LINUX, Red Hat, Red Flag, Debian) -- but without support and maintenance, third-party applications and connectors.

Open-Xchange is a collaboration platform that integrates open source and proprietary servers and clients. Accessible through a common web browser, Open-Xchange allows users to share e-mail, calendar, tasks, threaded discussions and documents originating from both proprietary and open source systems. For customers who need seamless integration with a Windows client, commercially available connectors will be released later in 2004.

Because the web-based interface of Open-Xchange runs on all major browsers, employees can use its services regardless of the client operating system. They can access the entire functionality of Open-Xchange with any computer connected to the Internet and any common platform, including Windows, Linux, Unix, MacOS, and PalmOS.

The interface also enables the exchange of data sets from project management, ERP, and CRM applications with Open-Xchange automatically integrating key project deadlines and tasks into appointment and task management tools, thus removing the need to maintain multiple calendars. About Netline

Netline Internet Service GmbH is a market leader in Linux-based groupware, collaboration, and messaging in the SMB segment. Netline4s Groupware which is based on the Netline Java Application Server is the core engine of Novell's award winning SUSE LINUX Openexchange Server. Since 1996 Netline -- based in Olpe, Germany -- has been developing java-based 3-tier web applications for the SMB market.