The news follows Friday's announcement involving the integration of Open-Xchange's open source email and collaboration software with Parallels Automation solutions, which delivers a cost-effective, enterprise-class alternative to commercial email and collaboration products, such as Microsoft Exchange, to end-users via web hosting and service providers.

Network Solutions says it will soon give customers the option of Open-Xchange's advanced web-based personal information management client. Based on Open-Xchange's Smart Collaboration technology, this agreement will provide Network Solutions' customers with highly-integrated and feature-rich email, calendaring, contact and task management, through its simplified interface.

"Integrating Open-Xchange into our email and hosting platform will provide our customers with enterprise level email and collaboration services at a price small businesses can afford," says Bill Jolly, director of product development at Network Solutions. "This solution will provide small businesses with access to the functionality that large businesses enjoy today. Our customers will have the ability to easily make and receive meeting requests, share calendars, share documents and schedule resources using a state-of-the-art email interface."

Open-Xchange integrates email, calendaring, contacts and task management with advanced groupware features such as information management and document sharing. The platform also enhances the productivity of companies through collaborative features, such as team view, single-password document sharing, and shared calendars, contacts, tasks and documents.

According to the press release, "users can easily upgrade to the full-featured groupware and document management solution and the option of synchronizing with Microsoft Outlook will be available."

Later this year, Network Solutions will fully replace its existing webmail application with the new Open-Xchange module, which features an innovative AJAX web interface. The module will also provide end-users with more customization by offering a range of web applications including RSS feeds, local weather forecasts, sports and videos.

These applications can all be integrated into their individual Open-Xchange portal page that uses Netvibes Universal Widget API. Open-Xchange's document system can easily be integrated into users' desktops using WebDAV, enabling it to be viewed and used just like any other folder in their system.