FLEXSTOR to Release FLEX-db DAM Technology into Open Source

MINNEAPOLIS -- FLEXSTOR announced bold plans to release its baseFLEX-db Digital Asset Management (DAM) technology into the Open Sourcecommunity. The company plans to post the source code by the end of thethird quarter of 2003. This assertive move will enable FLEXSTOR toutilize the creative talent of thousands of programmers in the OpenSource community by incorporating their best enhancements into futureversions of this enterprise-level software. This strategy is designedto accelerate development enhancements with the associated high-levelof software quality control that comes from increasingly popular OpenSource initiatives.

"The time is right for us to make this strategic move into OpenSource," said Don J. Giacchetti, FLEXSTOR's President and CEO.“The FLEXSTOR Technology Trident is already recognized as thetechnology leader in the marketplace. Placing one of the foundationallegs of our trident into Open Source will establish the de-factostandard for DAM as a critical infrastructure technology forenterprise-level corporate and government organizations.”

Richard Niemiec, CEO of TUSC and President of the InternationalOracle Users Group-Americas, stated, "This is an impressive applicationthat leverages the Oracle database. When placed in the Open Sourcecommunity, the Total Cost of Ownership of managing digital files can besubstantially reduced using this technology. This is another example ofthe paradigm shift that Open Source is creating."

Michael Moon, CEO of GISTICS Incorporated, commented, "Open Sourceasset repositories such as offered by FLEXSTOR will change the marketfor digital asset management and enterprise content management in twosignificant ways. First, Open Source DAM forcefully acknowledges thatbasic repository functions--thumbnails, check-in/checkout, versioncontrol, and routing and approval--have become fully commoditized. Thismeans that DAM and ECM vendors must add new, distinctive value todifferentiate their offerings or fail to win new customers. Second,Open Source DAM shifts the balance of power away from DAM and ECMvendors, whose solutions include high licensing fees. With Open SourceDAM, dedicated vendors of media servers (Adobe, Equilibrium,TrueSpectra) and expert delivery technical integration/support services(small, tightly focused VAR, consultants, and system integrators) willmake it hard for product-oriented DAM and ECM firms to compete."

The two founding sponsors with FLEXSTOR on this Open Sourceinitiative are Fort Dearborn Company and Rorke Data, Inc., a subsidiaryof Bell Microproducts, Inc. FLEXSTOR is in discussions with potentialSponsors from the business and government communities. FLEXSTOR seeksother sponsors to solicit advice and support on the future direction ofthe FLEX-db Open Source initiative. The FLEXSTOR architecture isdesigned to provide users with an extensible core of functionalitybuilt around open standards. It can serve as both an applicationinfrastructure to be extended, or alternatively, can be deployed in itssimplest form as a turnkey solution.

The FLEXSTOR product suite is an enterprise-wide, digital assetmanagement solution built upon JAVA and object-based extensibleEnterprise Java Bean (EJB) architecture. The software is composed ofinternally developed software modules and integrated foundationtechnology products including other Open Source products. FLEXSTORoffers its users a high performance, multi-tiered J2EE applicationarchitecture designed for Internet-based, multi-platform workstationclients, and utilizes the robustness and scalability of proven server,database and transaction processing technologies. The software provideslocal and remote access, automatic identification, distributedmulti-level hot-folder capability, as well as management of the import,indexing, export, archiving and distribution of digital files.

Like an air traffic control system, the FLEXSTOR technology monitorsand manages digital file assets on a global level. The FLEXSTORTechnology Trident is comprised of 3 separate technologies thatcomplement each other and provide customers with solutions to managedistributed files and enable remote processes to be triggered at anylocation.

FLEX-db
Digital Asset Management technology which ingests digital files,updates metadata tables, creates thumbnails, and processes filesaccording to business rules and logic. FLEX-db is currently comprisedof 70 services like: archive, cut, copy, paste, convert, check in,check out, update, move, delete etc..

FLEX-dbLink
Allows digital files stored on any server to be made part of a virtualglobal repository using peer-to-peer technology. Digital files do nothave to be collected up and stored on one central server but caninstead remain where they are originally stored, and made available toany user logging in to FLEXSTOR. This technology is unique toFLEXSTOR.

FLEX-si
Service Initiated technology allows processes within FLEXSTOR and otherapplications to be linked together, and triggered by changes inmetadata to create custom workflows without requiring custom code to bewritten. FLEX-si processes are defined by a simple XML file.

Please visit www.flexstor.bizfor more information.