More than 20 Software Company CEOs attending Second Annual Open Source Think Tank March 8 - 10 in California Wine Country

PALO ALTO, Calif. — Organizers of Open Source Think Tank 2007: The Future of Commercial Open Source, today announced that more than 20 CEOs of software companies from around the world were participating in the March 8 -10 event in the California wine country at the Silverado Country Club.

“We’ve drawn a remarkable group of open source software CEOs and we look forward to putting their industry views to the test before CIOs from some of the world’s largest corporations,” said Andrew Aitken, managing partner, Olliance Group. “It will be an exciting three days.”

This second annual gathering of leading industry insiders for hands-on, brainstorm-style sessions addressing the future of open source software and commerce, is still accepting applications for invitation. Participation is limited to 120 people. Details on how to apply are available on the Web at http://thinktank.olliancegroup.com and the cost to attend is $1,050, not including lodging and other travel expenses.

Think Tank 2007 is supported by JasperSoft, Microsoft, NEC, Novell, OpenLogic, SugarCRM and Unisys.

The inaugural Open Source Think Tank 2006 included representatives from leading vendors such as HP, IBM, Intel, Microsoft, SAP and Sun Microsystems as well as community leaders such as Doc Searls and Tim O’Reilly. CIOs spoke from organizations that included the Bank of America and the State of California.

Think Tank 2007 kicks off Thursday evening, March 8 with a networking reception. Friday evening features a wine reception followed by a sit down dinner at the exclusive Silverado Country Club. Noted author and Wired Magazine editor Chris Anderson will be the keynote on Friday, March 9, speaking on “The Impact of Open Source, The Long Tail, and Commerce.” CIO panels on Friday and Saturday will also provide a strong voice of the customer.

"NEC is pleased to be participating in a candid exploration of Open Source with true visionaries at the Open Source Think Tank 2007,” said Masaru Sakamoto, vice president of Corporate Planning and Marketing. “For over 100 years, NEC has been dedicated to pursuing frontiers and leading technological innovation. The work we are doing with Unisys through our global partnership ensures that we accelerate the development and adoption of these key technologies."

Think Tank 2007 is hosted by the Olliance Group, a leading open source management consulting firm, and DLA Piper, a global law firm with 3,200 lawyers in 24 countries and a leading advisor to the open source industry. Highlights of Think Tank 2007 will be captured in a white paper to be published shortly after the conference and made available for free to all.

About Think Tank 2007
The premier industry networking event for open source, Think Tank 2007 will be held March 8-10 at the Silverado Country Club in Napa, California. Organized by the Olliance Group and DLA Piper, Think Tank is supported by JasperSoft, Microsoft, NEC, Novell, OpenLogic, SugarCRM and Unisys. To apply for an invitation, please visit http://thinktank.olliancegroup.com.


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