Who is DotNetNuke Corp?

DotNetNuke Corp. is the steward of the DotNetNuke open source project, the most widely adopted Web Content Management Platform for building web sites and web applications on Microsoft .NET. Organizations use DotNetNuke to quickly develop and deploy interactive and dynamic web sites, intranets, extranets and web applications. The DotNetNuke platform is available in a free Community and subscription-based Professional, Elite and Elite Premier Editions. DotNetNuke Corp. also operates Snowcovered.com where users purchase third party software modules and skins.

The open DotNetNuke platform allows users to quickly, inexpensively change the appearance or functionality of their web site by installing software add-ons. More than 8,000 third-party add-ons are available through our Snowcovered.com online marketplace, free add-ons are available in the standard install package or from the DotNetNuke Forge, and the open API enables you to create your own custom add-ons.

The open platform allows DotNetNuke to function as both a content management system (CMS) and application development framework. DotNetNuke allows your organization to leverage your existing Microsoft investments to create rich, highly interactive web sites and web applications.

Founded in 2006 and funded by Sierra Ventures, August Capital, and UV Partners, DotNetNuke Corp. is headquartered in San Mateo, Calif.

Our Mission

Our mission is to create entrepreneurial opportunities around the world by providing a superior open source Web Content Management Platform which cultivates a passionate developer community as well as a prosperous commercial ecosystem.

The Stewards of the DotNetNuke Ecosystem

The DotNetNuke Web Content Management Platform was developed as an open source, community-driven project. It continues to thrive and benefit from an established and active group of users, developers, system integrators, module vendors, skin vendors, and hosting providers. 

In addition to creating and maintaining the DotNetNuke framework, DotNetNuke Corp. also leads the DotNetNuke ecosystem through which DotNetNuke users and customers gain access to a wide variety of complementary technologies, services, and hosting alternatives.  

Responsibilities

Intellectual Property      

To provide indemnity that secures the community against future loss, damage, or liability, DotNetNuke Corp. actively manages all open source intellectual property issues associated with the DotNetNuke web content management system (CMS) and application development framework. Through legal mechanisms, DotNetNuke Corp. ensures that:

• we are the sole copyright holder of all intellectual property within the DotNetNuke application.
• the entire DotNetNuke application is licensed under a single, consistent, BSD open source license.
• all contributors have a signed Contributor License Agreement (CLA) on file. The CLA allow us to defend the project should there be a legal dispute regarding intellectual property claims in the future.
• all third- party intellectual property that is integrated with the project is perpetually licensed for use within the application through a Software Grant Agreement signed by the original copyright holder.
• in any case where a third-party licensed component is leveraged within the core framework, it is integrated in an abstract manner which allows for plug-in replacement should the component's licensing model change.

Brand Management     

To increase the product's perceived value to the customer and thereby increase overall brand equity, confidence, and quality, DotNetNuke Corp. actively manages the DotNetNuke® brand by:

• Registering and enforcing identifiable trademarks in each applicable jurisdiction.
• Publishing an explicit Trademark Policy document that defines acceptable usage of the brand.
• Publishing an explicit Logo Guidelines Policy that defines acceptable usage of the logo.
• Providing a Trademark License Agreement to enable organizations to legally use the brand for specific purposes.
• Creating and disseminating a standard, consistent marketing message covering categorization, terminology, and positioning.
   

Infrastructure     

To facilitate the ongoing development of the DotNetNuke® Web Application Framework, DotNetNuke Corp. provides the following infrastructure services:

• Web serving environment ( *.dotnetnuke.com )
• Source code repositories
• Issue/feature tracking
• Public/private discussion forums
• Email services ( @dotnetnuke.com )
• Download mirroring system
• Marketing/distribution channel
• Continuous integration environment

Development     

DotNetNuke Corp. is actively involved in the evolution of the DotNetNuke® Web Application Framework. Responsibilities include:

• Managing the Project Roadmap in terms of product enhancements.
• Managing the Project Schedule in terms of release cycles.
• Implementing sufficient process and procedure within the Software Development Life Cycle.
• Setting expectations and goals, mitigating risks, recognizing critical dependencies, managing scope, and assuming ultimate responsibility.

Legal     

As the limited liability corporation responsible for managing intellectual property and brand assets, DotNetNuke Corp. is the sole entity that can participate in binding legal agreements related to DotNetNuke®. These include:

• Sponsorship agreements involving the contribution of tools, licenses, or funds.
• Contractual obligations regarding the core application framework.
• Partnership agreements involving official use of the brand assets.

Community     

DotNetNuke Corp. manages the meritocracy of the DotNetNuke® open source community project the by:

• Providing mechanisms for community members to participate in the open source project.
• Defining trust boundaries to ensure the highest level of quality within the product.

Communication     

DotNetNuke Corp. manages all official communication related to the DotNetNuke® project, including:

• Managing the news, content, and promotional aspects of the official DotNetNuke® website.
• Creating and publishing professional Press Releases at critical project junctures.
• Creating and distributing a monthly community Newsletter.
• Working with Publishers on technical and marketing material related to the project.