OpenCanal Corporation Announces Commercial Support, Training and Consulting Services for SharePoint Free Source Tools from Microsoft and Its Partners

OpenCanal Corporation announces the immediate availability of OpenCanal Distribution™ for free download as well as a CD version for purchase from the OpenCanal Store. The OpenCanal Distribution includes the complete Microsoft .NET source code for a wide range of free source tools and solutions created by Microsoft and its partners for Windows SharePoint Services and Microsoft Office SharePoint Portal Server 2003. OpenCanal also announced formal support, training and consulting services for the SharePoint free source tools included in the OpenCanal Distribution.

TORONTO, ON and LAS VEGAS, NV - June 13, 2005 – At the SharePoint Advisor Live conference in Las Vegas, OpenCanal Corporation today announced the immediate availability of the OpenCanal Distribution™ Developer Edition as a free download as well as a CD version for purchase from the OpenCanal Store. The OpenCanal Distribution includes the complete Microsoft .NET source code for a wide range of free source tools for SharePoint Products and Technologies including SharePoint content import/export, usage reporting, search enhancements, Web parts, WSRP interoperability, RSS syndication and systems management.

In addition, OpenCanal announced new support, training and consulting services for the SharePoint free source tools included in the OpenCanal Distribution.

OpenCanal also launched a new corporate web site and a community-based Windows SharePoint site to foster partner and customer discussions with developers of SharePoint free source tools, as well as to provide self-service assistance for the OpenCanal Distribution.

"In response to Microsoft partner and customer demand for support for the growing number of free source tools on Microsoft GotDotNet and other web sites, Parallelspace has founded OpenCanal Corporation to provide commercial support, training and consulting services for SharePoint free source tools created by Microsoft and its partners.” said Michael Herman, president and CTO of OpenCanal Corporation. “In addition, the OpenCanal team is especially excited about providing Microsoft partners and customers with quarterly value-added updates of the OpenCanal Distribution. The initial OpenCanal Distribution will focus on free source tools for Windows SharePoint Services and SharePoint Portal Server 2003."

“We are pleased to see OpenCanal provide these new support offerings for free source tools to benefit SharePoint Products and Technologies customers and partners.” said Sanjay Manchanda, director, Microsoft Office SharePoint group.

“Prior to OpenCanal, Microsoft partners and customers who tried to use SharePoint free source tools faced a fundamental problem: Where do I go for support, training or consulting when these free source tools break or don’t do the specific task I need them to do?" said Michael Herman. “OpenCanal now provides them with the services they require.”



What is Free Source Software?

Free source software (sometimes referred to as open source software) is software in which the source code for a software project is freely and easily identifiable, downloadable, buildable, redistributable and reusable. For more details, please refer to “What is Free Source Software” at http://www.opencanal.com/aboutus/whatisfreesource.htm.

About OpenCanal Corporation

OpenCanal Corporation is a leading provider of fee and subscription-based support, training and consulting services for Microsoft .NET free source solutions for Microsoft SharePoint Products and Technologies. OpenCanal Corporation is a subsidiary of Parallelspace Corporation.

About Parallelspace Corporation

Parallelspace Corporation, founded in 2001, is a leading provider of business collaboration solutions and services for information sharing and automated workflow solutions for Microsoft SharePoint Products and Technologies, Office Live Communications Server and Groove Virtual Workspace.



For More Information

More information on OpenCanal Corporation and the OpenCanal Distribution can be found at http://www.opencanal.com.

The OpenCanal Community web site can be found at http://www.opencanal.com/community.

Free downloads of the OpenCanal Distribution can be found at http://www.opencanal.com/downloads.


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For additional information, please contact:

Michael Herman
President and CTO
OpenCanal Corporation, a subsidiary of Parallelspace Corporation
(866) SOFTPASS (763-8727) toll-free
(905) 884-8285 x111
mwherman@opencanal.com