Open-Xchange And Parallels Sign Six New Cloud Groupware Providers

Open-Xchange (the open source email specialist) and Parallels (developer of SaaS automation and the Plesk Panel) say six cloud service providers (CSPs) have recently adopted their joint SaaS and cloud applications. The CSPs, which serve mail and groupware to customers in the USA, China, Ireland, Singapore, Malaysia, and Israel — were already using Parallels’ technology. But they’re all new to the Open-Xchange platform.

Here’s s closer look at each of the six Open-Xchange service provider partners:

• Blacknight Solutions, Ireland’s most popular domain registrar, already uses Parallels Operations Automation and will migrate 70,000 webmail accounts to Open-Xchange while also offering “advanced groupware features.”
• Dublin-based Irish Domains Ltd., which also uses Parallels Operations Automation, will convert a “comparable amount” of users to the Open-Xchange platform.
• SMB-focused cloud service provider Ovaleye, based out of Washington state, is using Parallels Plesk Panel and Open-Xchange to add messaging to their portfolio, which already includes VoIP and web hosting.
• PacHosting provides messaging, web hosting, cloud servers, and various other cloud offerings to customers in Hong Kong and China.
• ReadyHosting provides a range of IT services to customers from its offices in Singapore, Hong Kong, and Malaysia. They plan on offering their customers Open-Xchange mail and groupware by way of their Parallels Operations Automation deployment.
• Israeli service provider Triple Cloud, which counts academic institutions, government branches, and financial organizations amongst its customers, will also use Parallels Operations Automation to offer Open-Xchange products.

Open-Xchange says that their Parallels partnership is leading the way for the company to grow their user base from 24 million to 40 million in 2011. Combined with their other recent service provider agreements, it’s starting to look like they might well make it. That said, new competition — from the Microsoft Office 365 cloud suite — may surface soon.

Follow Talkin’ Cloud via RSS, Facebook and Twitter. Sign up for Talkin’ Cloud’s Weekly Newsletter, Webcasts and Resource Center. Read our editorial disclosures here.