Enabler of the New Enterprise Desktop Recognized for Helping Partners Enhance Customer Relationships with Innovative Application Integration and Process Automation Technology 

ATLANTA, June 25, 2007 – OpenSpan, Inc., the enabler of the New Enterprise Desktop, today announced it has been selected by CRN, part of CMP’s family of Channel Solutions, as a CRN Emerging Tech vendor for its innovative integration technology, enabling partners and customers to more easily deploy software applications into complex IT environments. Recognition by CRN magazine comes during a period of marked success for the Company, characterized by growing demand for the OpenSpan Platform and a burgeoning partner program.

CRN's Emerging Tech list captures companies that are delivering high margins for solution providers with innovative and easy-to-use technology that undercuts industry giants. OpenSpan was named to the list for its ability to enable its ISV and OEM partners to deliver a fully-integrated product offering that allows customers to more quickly and easily implement software applications in complex IT environments and realize a more rapid ROI.

"The OpenSpan Platform is a perfect complement to the Microsoft Customer Care Framework (CCF) because it drives the application integration, process automation and extensibility of functionality that helps CCF deliver dramatic improvements in contact center efficiency," said Vish Thirumurthy, group manager of Customer Care, Industry Solutions Group. "OpenSpan enables a wide range of applications, such as Java, custom-built, or legacy applications, to be more easily integrated into the CCF environment.  Ultimately, our alliance with OpenSpan enables us to deliver better information faster to service representatives, help improve operating efficiency and deliver an improved, more consistent customer experience."

ISV and OEM providers achieve tremendous value by leveraging the OpenSpan Platform to deliver to market a fully-integrated product offering while simplifying the adoption process by their enterprise customers.  The OpenSpan Platform reduces both time and costs associated with integrating new applications into existing complex IT environments.  Additionally, the OpenSpan Platform decreases risk associated with SOA projects by providing a highly desirable user environment for rolling out new SOA-based services in a highly iterative manner.

“With its seamless and efficient approach to desktop application integration, OpenSpan further enables our customers to extend business functionality for reuse,” said Paul Neutz, director, business development, Attachmate. “By incorporating the OpenSpan Platform into our Verastream suite of legacy integration products, we can provide customers with a comprehensive offering that enables them to improve desktop environments for employees, IT and operations.”

OpenSpan aligns with a broad range of industry leaders in order to extend the reach of its technology and services. OpenSpan partners consist of technology providers that either embed OpenSpan technology or provide highly complementary technology for OpenSpan customers, as well as system integrators that assist enterprises in building and supporting new enterprise desktop solutions. OpenSpan teams with leading companies across the globe, including Microsoft, Attachmate, Accenture, Renewteck, HTCSi, Vertical Thought, and Westbrook Technologies.

"Being chosen as a CRN Emerging Vendor is further validation that OpenSpan is providing a unique, innovative integration technology that helps our partners enhance their customer relationships with reduced implementation times and accelerated ROI," said Francis Carden, CEO of OpenSpan. "Our partners have been major contributors to our explosive growth and we look forward to continuing to strengthen these relationships as we deliver the OpenSpan Platform to enterprises in every industry."

The OpenSpan Platform allows partners and users to integrate applications, automate manual processes, extend functionality of existing applications, and more quickly and cost-effectively create customized composite applications. Currently, more than 30,000 desktops utilize the OpenSpan Platform to provide end users with a seamless interface for moving between and integrating with applications that enables them to more efficiently conduct daily tasks. 

According to the 2007 CRN Emerging Tech Survey, the top reasons solution providers add emerging technologies include, the technology is superior to other products in the market segment; the technology complements a solution providers’ existing practice areas; emerging vendors provide better services opportunities; emerging vendors pay better attention to partners; emerging vendors offer higher margins; customers want alternative product choices; and emerging vendors have better joint marketing programs. In addition, 61 percent of solutions providers surveyed plan to increase the number of emerging technology vendors they partner with in the next 12 months.

"Successful Solution Providers are always looking for new and innovative partners, and the CRN Emerging Tech list provides a way for them to discover a large number of potential new partners who offer a wide range of emerging technologies," said Heather Clancy, vice president and editor of CRN. 

Vendors who make the CRN Emerging Tech list must have an established solution-provider program and formal guidelines for recruiting channel partners. They must demonstrate that its direct sales mix is trending down as evidenced by the company’s revenue history, a channel positive or channel neutral strategy for internal sales compensation, and not be a dominant market share player.  Final selection to the Emerging Technology list was made at the discretion of the CRN editorial team after a review of the submitted information and conversations with current or targeted partners.

About The Channel Group
CMP Channel Group is the one-stop-shop customers turn to in order to meet their global sales channel objectives from access to execution. Through use of its family of channel solutions which include CRN and VARBusiness, the ChannelWeb network, the Group's XChange worldwide face-to-face conferences and the Institute for Partner Education & Development (IPED), vendors are able to accelerate sales through the channel. CMP Channel Group provides a worldwide answer to advertising, branding and marketing services, lead generation, market intelligence, branded and custom events, education of solution providers and best practices for vendors.

About The Channel Group
CRN provides solution providers and technology integrators with the crucial information and analysis they need to drive their company’s sales.  As an advocate for and voice of the IT channel, solution providers turn to CRN first for immediate information. Celebrating its 25th year, CRN is the most trusted source for channel professionals. CRN can be found on the web at www.channelweb.com.

About CMP Technology (http://www.cmp.com/)
CMP Technology is a marketing solutions company serving the technology industry. Through its market-leading portfolio of trusted information brands, CMP has earned the confidence of more technology professionals than any other media company. As a result, CMP is the premier provider of access, insight and actionable programs designed to connect sellers and buyers in ways that yield superior return on investment. CMP Technology is a subsidiary of United Business Media (http://www.unitedbusinessmedia.com/), a global provider of news distribution and specialist information services with a market capitalization of more than $3 billion.

About OpenSpan, Inc.
OpenSpan is a venture-backed software organization focused on enabling the New Enterprise Desktop.  Global 2000 enterprises leverage the OpenSpan Platform to integrate applications, automate business processes, extend functionality and build new composite applications in order to realize immediate value on their IT investments.  Recognizing the unique approach to the difficult challenges associated with application integration, Gartner awarded OpenSpan with a 2006 Cool Vendor Award.  OpenSpan is headquartered in Alpharetta, GA.  More information about OpenSpan is located online at www.openspan.com.