"
"Optaros is the key player in helping big companies strategically
plan and integrate open source software at the business applications
level," said SpikeSource CEO Kim Polese. 15 - Whitecastle Private Equity Partners Fund
LP ("Whitecastle") launched today with more than $60 million of capital under
management.

consultancy 3d

"One of our competitors recently announced that it will be launching a
platform for the enterprise market that will allow developers to integrate
data between legacy enterprise applications," said David Baeder, President and
CEO of OpenBOX.whitecastle.

installation technology

More recently, open source is being used in
business applications software - content management systems, web
portals, customer service and other systems.spikesource. This expertise includes
simplifying workflow intensive applications and designing databases,
applications and processes to streamline company information. At Whitecastle ,
our history is of economic success, but our legacy is of integrity.

market scale

Although open source
software can be acquired for minimal or no cost, it typically has not
come with the systems integration or support services of the kind
provided by commercial software vendors.

greater focusing

com) is a venture capital-funded
consulting and systems integration firm that helps large enterprises
use open source software to reduce the cost of commercial software and
rapidly build high-quality, cost-effective and more flexible business
applications.

toronto enterprise

, the firm provides a range of
services necessary for enterprises to maximize the benefits of open
source software -- to replace existing costly proprietary software or
to build new business applications. Customers can originate with an ASP platform and then
migrate to an in-house turnkey solution as needed.

partnering architecture

We believe that investing capital in good businesses and partnering with
talented entrepreneurs who share our values leads to thriving and successful
industry leaders.

backend consulting

I felt we needed to announce to the world that we have
been a player for a long time while others are still in the planning stages."
Whitecastle was founded in 1958, having a long history of successfully
building companies and partnering with entrepreneurs.

9 enterprise

I.

About OpenBOX Technologies
Headquartered in Providence, RI, OpenBOX Technologies develops flexible,
fully integrated enterprise software solutions and services for small, mid-
sized and large businesses.net.

3t medium

The architecture minimizes the
challenges companies face with applications that aren't integrated, are dated
or inflexible to work with, or prevent data-sharing among various groups
within the company. We value integrity, hard work, and teamwork.

technology consultancy

For more
information visit www.

Whitecastle Private Equity Partners Fund LP launches new private equity fund

enterprise technology

, an open source software consulting and integration
firm, today announced that it will be a charter member of
SpikeSource 's strategic alliance program.

consulting enterprise

openbox.
"We at Whitecastle believe our fund fulfills a niche in the Canadian
private equity market that is currently under-serviced," said Carey Diamond,
managing director of Whitecastle.

partnering pro

"Our clients want a solid foundation for business solutions that
we architect and build," said Dave Gynn, who leads Optaros'
Application Infrastructure Practice. "We see the support , testing, and
certification from SpikeSource as an important part of our solution. (www.

OpenBOX Technologies Announces Enterprise Solutions Architecture That Integrates With Third-Party and Legacy Systems

PROVIDENCE, R.
Our patient time horizons, close interaction with management, and serious
focus on the investees will assist these companies in achieving their
potential.

Whitecastle Private Equity Partners Fund LP is a Toronto-based investment
fund focused on providing capital and expertise for growth and buyouts in
small and medium-sized enterprises.

integration medium

"We look forward to working
with them and helping large firms and government organizations build
major open source applications ."

About Optaros

Optaros, Inc.optaros.ca.

provider medium

Thus, to date many companies
have waited for these services to be in place before moving toward
large-scale adoption of open source software.

"SpikeSource provides this kind
of high-quality testing, certification and support, which should
reduce concerns of large organizations about the quality of open
source software."
OpenBOX 's expertise allows customers to leverage their existing systems
instead of having to reinvest in new ones. The fund's limited partners,
comprising both Whitecastle Investments Limited and some of Canada's largest
pension funds, may co-invest with the fund, significantly increasing the
amount of capital available for a single transaction.

pro 9

About SpikeSource

SpikeSource is an open source IT services company founded in 2003
to help accelerate enterprise open source adoption through testing,
certification and support of open source software.
The OpenBOX architecture is the basis for the OpenBOX Business Suite,
which is available as either ASP or turnkey.

pro installation

Optaros and SpikeSource to Work Together to Bring Open Source Software to Enterprise Business Applications

partnering market

"The traditional avenues for capital are
becoming less accessible for small and medium-sized enterprises, and our
skills in helping these companies grow and prosper fill a much needed void.

sized provider

"The OpenBOX architecture has been integrating with legacy
systems for years; most recently, for one of our largest government
contracting customers. All OpenBOX
solutions are focused on increasing efficiency by providing uniform
information-sharing across the organization from various databases if
necessary. Whitecastle will invest in small to medium-sized enterprises
across key private business sectors, primarily in Canada, but also in the
northeastern United States.

scale technology

This
partnership enhances Optaros' ability to provide clients with
high-quality open source business solutions.

360 enterprise

Business Editors
Open Source Business Conference 2005

SAN FRANCISCO----

Partnering to combine Optaros' consulting and solutions
with SpikeSource software and support to large companies

Optaros Inc.
"Open source provides more software choices to large enterprises,
but it must still come with the same assurances that enterprises
receive from commercial software vendors," said Bob Gett, Optaros
chief executive officer and president."
Over the last decade, companies have been using open source
software for operating systems, databases, web server and other
"infrastructure" software. Based in Cambridge , Mass. For more information visit
http://www.

greater legacy

Having launched two of the most
successful IT service companies of the last two major shifts in
technology, Optaros' management brings substantial expertise to
creating a company that can help clients fully adopt new technology
models and platforms.com

, OpenBOX Technologies (OpenBOX),
a growing developer of enterprise solutions, today announced its flexible,
fully integrated enterprise solutions architecture that enables small, mid -
sized and large companies to integrate their legacy database and enterprise
solutions with the latest technology.

- Targets are small to medium-sized enterprises currently under-serviced
by Canadian private equity funds

TORONTO, Feb.

3t pro

Large organizations have been rapidly adopting open source
software to reduce technology costs, build systems faster and gain
more control over their technology direction. OpenBOX solutions include order management,
project management , partner management, customer help desk, sales force
automation, and marketing campaign management , as well as customized
enterprise solutions and professional services. For more
information about Whitecastle and its portfolio of companies, please visit our
website, http://www.

3d 3t

Optaros provides strategic
advice on approaches for using open source software and designs and
develops business systems which use open source software.
The fund will target opportunities in key business sectors , including
health care services and products, financial services, and manufacturing, with
investments ranging from $5 to $25 million each.