Later this year, Hostpoint will replace the Web mail system for its 250,000 email accounts with a new Web mail module from Open-Xchange, which uses an innovative AJAX Web interface to deliver new features and improved usability. Hostpoint says it will also offer additional Open-Xchange modules enabling users to seamlessly upgrade to a full-featured collaboration solution.

Following the partnership with 1&1 Internet, this partnership further validates Open-Xchange's strategy to serve the small-to-medium enterprise market. Open-Xchange says it is committed to supply the SME market with quality email and collaboration solutions through Internet service providers and Web hosting companies like Hostpoint.

"Web hosters, Internet service providers and telecoms are perfectly positioned to meet the growing demand for new applications from millions of SMEs by leveraging their current customer relationships and infrastructures and by offering improved Web mail and new groupware capabilities over the simple webmail in place today," says Gerald Labie, CEO of Open-Xchange. "By making Open-Xchange Smart Collaboration easily available with our partners, we are helping to transform the way people communicate that simplifies their everyday work, life and social interaction."