TARRYTOWN, NY, Jan. 8, 2008 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- Open-Xchange Inc., the leading independent provider of open source collaboration software, today named co-founder and chairman of the board Rafael Laguna as the company's new president and CEO. Former SUSE CEO and Open-Xchange board member Richard Seibt becomes chairman of the board. The company also announced that former Nixdorf CEO Bernhard Woebker joined the board of directors as a new member.
Open-Xchange's award-winning Smart Collaboration technology combines email, calendaring, contacts and task management with advanced groupware features such as Documail and Document Sharing. Productivity is enhanced through unique teamwork features, like team view, centralized document sharing, and shared calendars, contacts, tasks and documents. In addition, the option of synchronizing with Microsoft Outlook is available.
"Rafael is the ideal person for this position," said Seibt. "He formed Open-Xchange's strategy from the very beginning and knows the company's employees, partners and customers like no other."
In 2001, Laguna initiated the technology partnership between Open-Xchange's development team and SUSE Linux -- today a Novell business. The result of this partnership, SUSE Linux Openexchange Server, became the best-selling Linux-based groupware solution. Most recently, Laguna was crucial to the extension of Open-Xchange's product portfolio and formed the partnership with the world's largest web host by known servers, 1&1 Internet AG. 1&1 utilizes Open-Xchange's technology for a range of 1&1 branded MailXchange email and collaboration packages that are offered to customers worldwide. The partnership with 1&1 was the first step of Open-Xchange's Software as a Service (SaaS) strategy to provide Internet Service Providers (ISPs) and web-hosting companies with email and collaboration functionality to serve the small-to-medium enterprise (SME) market. Moreover, with Open-Xchange Express Edition, the company launched a new turnkey solution for small and medium-sized businesses integrating the increasingly popular Ubuntu operating system in August 2007.
"Open-Xchange is positioned at the crossroads of three mega-trends: Software as a Service, Open Source and Mobile Devices," said Laguna. "Enterprises and system integrators have known for years the cost efficiencies and business benefits of Open-Xchange. Now, Open-Xchange also delivers what the telcos, hosters and service providers need to compete with Google, Microsoft, RIM and others - to deliver higher level services to their customers."
Laguna, 43, began his career in 1985 at dicomputer. In 1989 he joined Micado, which made software products for object-oriented development, as general manager and associate. Before selling the profitable company to PMSC in 1995, he grew the company from 20 to 100 employees and to EUR 15m turnover. Later he worked as a business angel and consultant of software technology for several Venture Capital Funds. From 2002 to 2004, Laguna was crucial to the investment and the successful sale of SUSE Linux to Novell. From 2003 to 2006, he managed as chairman the turnaround of baurer AG until its acquisition by Sage. Rafael acts as board member for asknet AG (www.asknet.com) and comparis.ch (www.comparis.ch).
Changes in the Board of Directors
Richard Seibt, already an Open-Xchange board member, replaces Laguna as chairman. A former president of Novell EMEA and CEO of SUSE Linux, Seibt was an executive board member at United Internet -- which has brands including 1&1, GMX, web.de, and AdLINK. Earlier in his career, Seibt held a variety of positions at IBM -- including managing director of IBM Germany, where he owned sales and marketing responsibility for IBM software products in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Later, Seibt moved to the U.S. as a general manager of the worldwide software division.
Bernhard Woebker, consultant to various investment banking and venture capital firms in Europe and the United States, joins Open-Xchange's board of directors. From 1997 until 2000 he held various positions at Versant Corp. in Europe and the U.S. From 1994 to 1997, he was the president of Versant Object Technology GmbH, an independently-owned distributorship for Versant products in Europe, which was acquired by Versant in March 1997. Woebker also served as senior vice president Pyramid Technology Corp. and as executive vice president NeXT Computer Inc. From 1976 until 1990, he held a variety of positions in Germany and the United States with Nixdorf Computer AG, Nixdorf Computer Engineering Corp. and Siemens Nixdorf Informationssysteme AG, including the position of president and CEO of Nixdorf Computer Engineering Corp. Woebker is a board member at several IT and technology companies in Europe and the U.S.
About Open-Xchange
Open-Xchange Inc. is the innovator of scalable and integrated open source messaging and collaboration solutions for small and medium-sized enterprises, academic institutions and government authorities ("SME"). It products are available directly from the company, through partners and Software-as-a-Service providers. Open-Xchange provides SME's with state-of-the-art messaging and collaboration solutions traditionally only accessible to large corporations. By empowering SME's, Open-Xchange helps them compete more effectively in the global economy. Open-Xchange Inc. is a privately held holding company headquartered in Tarrytown, NY, with research, development, and operations in Olpe and Nuremberg, Germany. For more information, please visit www.open-xchange.com