BOSTON—Oct. 16, 2001– Ximian, Inc., the
leading open source desktop company, announced today the
appointment of Mitchell Kapor to its Board of Directors. Kapor is
internationally known as the founder of Lotus Development
Corporation and the designer of Lotus 1-2-3, the application that
brought the personal computer into the business mainstream in the
1980s. Kapor is also a social activist, founding and chairing such
organizations as the Electronic Frontier Foundation and the
Massachusetts Commission on Computer Technology and Law.
“Mitch’s passion for new ideas and his vision for the role
technology plays in our lives is well known throughout the
industry,” said David Patrick, CEO and president of Ximian(TM).
“With over 25 years of industry experience, Mitch will be of great
value to Ximian and its future direction. He has the insight to
effectively and significantly contribute to the company’s product
and technology strategy, and we’re grateful and fortunate to have
him join our Board.”
Kapor is a technology visionary and pioneer who has worked with
numerous companies that have defined the computer industry. Early
in his career he worked as a product manager for Personal Software
Inc., the publisher of VisiCalc, the world’s first electronic
spreadsheet and as the designer and programmer of VisiPlot and
VisiTrend, companion products to VisiCalc. In 1982, he co-founded
Lotus Development Corporation and helped drive the runaway success
of Lotus 1-2-3. He served as the President (later Chairman) and CEO
of Lotus from 1982 to 1986 and as a Director until 1987.
“I believe that Ximian is one of those rare companies that
combines breakthrough technology and a robust business model while
truly benefiting the user community,” said Kapor. “Ximian is
clearly providing a Linux and UNIX alternative for the computer
desktop and has also developed a well-rounded set of products and
services for generating revenue. I’m excited to work with a company
widely recognized as an open source leader with the talent and
initiative to make an impact.”
For more than 15 years Mr. Kapor has been an investor in
high-technology start-up companies (through Kapor Enterprises,
Inc.) and an advisor to entrepreneurs. He was a founding investor
of UUNET, Real Networks and Groove Networks. From 1999 to 2001, Mr.
Kapor was a partner at Accel Partners, a leading venture capital
firm based in Palo Alto, Calif. He continues there as a venture
consultant.
About Ximian, Inc.
Ximian is the established leader in providing open source desktop
technology, applications, support and services for the Linux and
UNIX marketplaces. Ximian products, in use by over 800,000 people
worldwide, are providing the ease of use, productivity and
interoperability needed to propel the adoption of the Linux desktop
in corporate computing environments. Its Ximian Desktop software
starts with Ximian GNOME, a productized end-user desktop based on
the GNOME project, to provide a complete graphical desktop
environment and productivity application suite for Linux and UNIX
systems. Ximian Red Carpet(TM) and Ximian Evolution(TM) deliver
software and personal information management solutions for both
end-users and corporate customers. Comprised of many of the
original architects of the GNOME system, Ximian is a founding
member of the GNOME Foundation and sits on the advisory board. The
company has secured funding from leading venture firms Charles
River Ventures and Battery Ventures and can be reached at
www.ximian.com.
Ximian, Ximian Evolution and Red Carpet are trademarks of
Ximian, Inc. The names of other companies and products mentioned
herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.