NEW YORK, USA: Open-Xchange Inc., provider of open source groupware, today announced the availability of open source software packages of Open-Xchange Server for most popular Linux distributions.

Open-Xchange provides the latest software packages of Open-Xchange Server for free download and use - prepared for most popular versions of Linux, including:

- Debian Etch
- Fedora 8
- openSUSE 10.2, 10.3, 11
- Ubuntu 7.04, 7.10, 8.04

Using the openSUSE Build Service, a new tool sponsored by Novell, Open-Xchange is building and packaging applications for a large number of distributions. Open-Xchange configures the openSUSE Build Service once, with reproduction and compilation done automatically.

"Using openSUSE helps us to increase the use of Open-Xchange Server by making our software available to an even broader audience," said Juergen Geck, CTO of Open-Xchange. "We welcome participation by the open source community and are fully committed to open standards and enabling industry partners and community members to extend this Java and OSGi-based communication platform far beyond traditional groupware functionality."

Open-Xchange offers email, calendar, contacts, tasks and document sharing to provide companies with all the tools needed to facilitate communication and efficient teamwork. Customers can improve communication and teamwork with simple, intuitive tools and intelligent features, such as smart links between calendar appointments, task lists, contacts, documents, bookmarks and knowledge articles.

"I'm really happy that the openSUSE Build Service is helping Open-Xchange package their software for all distros," said Joe 'Zonker' Brockmeier, openSUSE Community Manager.

He added, "A rising tide lifts all boats, and by making it easier for developers and ISVs to package software for all major Linux distributions, we're helping to promote the use of Linux everywhere."

The release adds, Developers and users can contribute to the ongoing development of Open-Xchange Server.