Worldwide popularity of DotNetNuke enables new organization to pursue wide range of opportunities to benefit the community

Seattle, Wash. — September 21, 2006 — DotNetNuke®, the popular Open Source web application framework for the ASP.Net platform, today announced the formation of DotNetNuke Corporation, a new company to serve the growing needs of the project and its ever-expanding community. The new entity will focus on the management of the project, while leveraging a wide array of resources to create and distribute a superior, free, Open Source web application framework that cultivates a passionate developer community and a prosperous commercial ecosystem.

“The formation of this company reflects the maturity of the DotNetNuke project,” said Shaun Walker, founder of DotNetNuke Corp. “As the adoption rate of DotNetNuke continues to grow, it is increasingly being used as a platform for mission-critical websites and web applications. DotNetNuke Corp. exists to instill confidence that while the project continues to remain true to its Open Source ideals, it will also be backed by a company that is focused on providing professional management and stewardship for the project.”

Perpetual Motion Interactive Systems, Inc., Walker’s British Columbia, Canada-based company that currently manages the DotNetNuke® project and its intellectual property including trademarks, will transfer these assets to DotNetNuke Corp., which will be based in Seattle, Washington, Walker said. The new company will maintain the primary authority for managing the Open Source project, stewarding and distributing the source code, setting policies, managing intellectual property, and organizing the relationships between all participants in the project.

“DotNetNuke Corporation is not a typical commercial entity,” Walker added. “Rather, it is dedicated to the public benefit goal at the heart of the DotNetNuke project, which is to create opportunities and spread entrepreneurship to the world by providing a superior Open Source web application framework."

The project continues to be successful in achieving this goal. In the four years since the DotNetNuke project was launched, it has seen its registered user ranks swell to 335,000 members and demand for its flagship product surpassing 2 million downloads worldwide. This worldwide adoption of DotNetNuke has created significant economic value both for the project and also the commercial ecosystem that it has spawned.

“This economic value is an unintended but real by-product of the DotNetNuke project's overarching mission to create opportunities and spread entrepreneurship to the world,” Walker said. “Carefully managed, this value — and the resulting ability to generate revenue — can be used to make the DotNetNuke project self-sustaining and help keep the community open and diverse.”

In addition to spearheading the Open Source project, DotNetNuke Corp. will also focus on developing and delivering services which support the ecosystem, including marketing, sponsorships, and a wide range of partner-related activities. These activities are expected to generate revenue, but the company intends to focus on those opportunities that are consistent with the community values and public goals of the project, Walker said. This includes providing funding for aspects of the project that are difficult or challenging for volunteer teams to solely undertake such as professional marketing, large-scale platform and feature development, product certification and ecommerce initiatives, he added.

“Overall, the operation of the DotNetNuke project will remain unchanged,” Walker said. “Participants in the DotNetNuke project will not experience any difference in the way the DotNetNuke application is developed, licensed or distributed. As DotNetNuke Corp. adds resources in those areas that are currently lacking, we expect to see improvements that will have an overall positive impact on the project,” Walker said.

The current members of the DotNetNuke project management board – Joe Brinkman, Nik Kalyani and Scott Willhite – will join Walker as co-founders of the new company.

About DotNetNuke®

“Our mission is to create opportunities and spread entrepreneurship to the world by providing a superior open source web application framework which cultivates a passionate developer community as well as a prosperous commercial ecosystem.” DotNetNuke® is an open source web application framework ideal for creating, deploying and managing interactive web, intranet and extranet sites. With a rapidly growing community of over 300,000 registered users, a legion of dedicated professional developers, and an active commercial ecosystem, DotNetNuke® continues to strengthen its leadership position in the Microsoft enterprise market.

About Open Source

The basic idea behind Open Source is very simple: When programmers can read, redistribute, and modify the source code for a piece of software, the software evolves. People improve it, people adapt it, and people fix bugs. And this can happen at a speed that, if one is used to the slow pace of conventional software development, seems astonishing.

Media Contact:

Contact: Nik Kalyani
Email: nik.kalyani@dotnetnuke.com
Web: http://www.dotnetnuke.com

1.     What is the role of the DotNetNuke Corporation?

2.     What is the relationship of the DotNetNuke Corporation to the DotNetNuke Open Source Project?

3.     What is the reason for this change?

4.     Where will the DotNetNuke Corporation be based?

5.     When will the DotNetNuke Corporation begin operations?

6.     What is the management team of the DotNetNuke Corporation?

1.     What is the mission of the DotNetNuke Open Source Project going forward?

2.     What does this mean for the DotNetNuke Core Team and Project Team members?

3.     How will the DotNetNuke Corporation interoperate with the DotNetNuke Open Source Project?

1.     Will users need to start paying for DotNetNuke?

2.     Will there be a new license for DotNetNuke?

3.     How will this change product development for DotNetNuke?

1.     What role will the community have in the DotNetNuke Corporation?

2.     What role will the community have in the DotNetNuke Open Source Project?

3.     How much will the community be able to contribute to DotNetNuke going forward?

4.     How does the DotNetNuke Corporation plan to reward the community for contributing to the project?

5.     How does the DotNetNuke Corporation ensure the ongoing integrity of the DotNetNuke Open Source Project?

General Questions

What is the role of the DotNetNuke Corporation?

The newly formed DotNetNuke Corporation takes on the stewardship role and responsibility previously ascribed solely to Perpetual Motion Interactive Systems, Inc., Shaun Walker’s Canadian-based business.  The DotNetNuke Corporation will provide infrastructure, management and support to the DotNetNuke Open Source Project as part of its regular operations.

What is the relationship of the DotNetNuke Corporation to the DotNetNuke Open Source Project?

As the new steward of the DotNetNuke Open Source Project, the DotNetNuke Corporation retains ownership of all DotNetNuke related assets previously held by Perpetual Motion Interactive Systems, Inc (PMI).  The DotNetNuke Corporation simply replaces PMI as the corporate entity in possession of these assets and responsible for the project.

What is the reason for this change?

Demands resulting from the phenomenal growth and popularity of the DotNetNuke application framework necessitate the change.  The DotNetNuke Corporation provides a clear separation of business from Perpetual Motion Interactive Systems, Inc. (PMI) which continues to conduct business unrelated to the DotNetNuke Open Source Project.  The DotNetNuke Corporation serves to provide adopters of the platform assurance of long-term viability, quality, and continued growth; attributes increasingly complex to guarantee under PMI.  Wholly dedicated to the business of DotNetNuke, the DotNetNuke Corporation is positioned to keep pace with the exponential growth demands of an active and profitable ecosystem.

Where will the DotNetNuke Corporation be based?

DotNetNuke Corporation is a Delaware corporation based in Seattle, Washington.  Incorporation in the United States makes business easier to conduct internationally and Delaware General Corporation Law is generally accepted to be the most advanced and flexible business formation statute in the nation.  The seat of a thriving internet and technology economy, the legal jurisdiction of Washington State is more favorable than most outside of Silicon Valley.  Conveniently, Seattle is also close to Redmond, WA, home of Microsoft Corporation, a frequent destination for many participants in the DotNetNuke ecosystem which is rooted in .Net technology.

When will the DotNetNuke Corporation begin operations?

The DotNetNuke Corporation was formed on September 18, 2006 and commenced operations immediately.

What is the management team of the DotNetNuke Corporation?

The DotNetNuke Corporation founders, Shaun Walker, Joe Brinkman, Nik Kalyani and Scott Willhite, are joined by Mark Radcliffe (DLA Piper Rudnick Gray Cary US LLP) as general counsel.  The four founders of DotNetNuke Corporation ensure continuity of leadership and operations to the DotNetNuke Open Source Project, building upon their strategic advisory capacity as an informal “board of directors”.  In early stage formation, the DotNetNuke Corporation has not yet named additional Directors or Advisors.

Organizational Questions

What is the mission of the DotNetNuke Open Source Project going forward?

The mission of the DotNetNuke Open Source Project remains unchanged: "Our mission is to create opportunities and spread entrepreneurship to the world by providing a superior open source web application framework which cultivates a passionate developer community as well as a prosperous commercial ecosystem."

What does this mean for the DotNetNuke Core Team and Project Team members?

The DotNetNuke Core Team and Project Team members should be largely unaffected by the change.  Updates to existing agreements will be required which reflect the new corporation and changed legal jurisdiction, however these agreements will not change in scope or effect.  Resources marshaled under stewardship of the DotNetNuke Corporation will provide for an increasingly satisfying experience for participants in all aspects of the DotNetNuke community including Core Team and Project Team members and users of the platform.

How will the DotNetNuke Corporation interoperate with the DotNetNuke Open Source Project?

In terms of governance and day-to-day project related activities, the DotNetNuke Open Source Project will continue to function as it did under the stewardship of Perpetual Motion Systems Interactive, Inc (PMI).  Employees of the DotNetNuke Corporation, like PMI before it, will work within the governance structures of the project.  The DotNetNuke Corporation will provide infrastructure, management and support to the DotNetNuke Open Source Project as part of its regular operations.

Product Questions

Will users need to start paying for DotNetNuke?

No.  The DotNetNuke Web Application Framework and DotNetNuke Projects will remain open source and free.

Will there be a new license for DotNetNuke?

The DotNetNuke license will be updated to reflect the change in ownership from Perpetual Motion Interactive Systems, Inc. to the DotNetNuke Corporation.  The license will not change in scope or effect.

How will this change product development for DotNetNuke?

The philosophy of product development will not change.  The mission and guiding principles of the DotNetNuke Open Source Project have a proven track record resulting in the current popularity of the platform.  Stewardship of the DotNetNuke Corporation enables growth and acceleration of quality, process and application initiatives for the benefit all participants in the DotNetNuke Open Source Project and community.

Community Questions

What role will the community have in the DotNetNuke Corporation?

The community will interact with the DotNetNuke Corporation through the existing governance structures of the DotNetNuke Open Source Project, reflecting the same manner in which they have interacted with Perpetual Motion Interactive Systems, Inc. in the past.

What role will the community have in the DotNetNuke Open Source Project?

Community participation is fundamental to the DotNetNuke Open Source Project and the role of the community is unchanged.  Resources marshaled under stewardship of the DotNetNuke Corporation will provide for an increasingly satisfying experience for participants in all aspects of the DotNetNuke community.

How much will the community be able to contribute to DotNetNuke going forward?

The community can contribute to DotNetNuke and the DotNetNuke Projects as they do today by participating in our forums, contributing code / testing effort, reporting bugs, requesting enhancements, etc.  Community members can also contribute financially to the project through the DotNetNuke Benefactor Program or by purchasing products through the DotNetNuke Marketplace.

How does the DotNetNuke Corporation plan to reward the community for contributing to the project?

The rewards for community participation and contribution remain what they have traditionally been in the past.  Individual contributors usually begin their participation to satisfy a personal desire by reporting or fixing a bug, answering a forum post, contributing code for an enhancement that is important to them, etc.  Still others seek the personal recognition afforded to members of the Core Team and Project Teams through increased individual responsibility.  Some participants become professionally involved in DotNetNuke related businesses and seek personal stature in the community for the benefit of their business or employer.  The success of individual participants in the DotNetNuke community aligns with the mission of the DotNetNuke Open Source Project: "Our mission is to create opportunities and spread entrepreneurship to the world by providing a superior open source web application framework which cultivates a passionate developer community as well as a prosperous commercial ecosystem."

How does the DotNetNuke Corporation ensure the ongoing integrity of the DotNetNuke Open Source Project?

The DotNetNuke Corporation is wholly dedicated to the business of DotNetNuke and thereby reliant upon a thriving DotNetNuke Open Source Project, community and ecosystem.  Integrity of the DotNetNuke Open Source Project is assured as a prerequisite for success of the DotNetNuke Corporation.