OS is rapidly gaining market acceptance, and is supported by a growing number of closed and open platforms, including Sun, Red Hat, and ucLinux. With giants like IBM now embracing OS, there must be some real, underlying potential for developing new products.
• What is the motivation for OS developers – is it really that easy to do?
• what are the ethical and legal issues – does intellectual property still have value?
• What is the culture like inside successful OS vendors? Is it just about the idea that software should be free and open for all?

Ross Epstein is the Managing Partner of the San Diego office of Nath & Associates LLP. He is a legal advisor and provider of general counsel services to small and medium sized companies as well as to individual entrepreneurs including high tech and life sciences. Mr. Epstein brings an unusual entrepreneurial perspective to the practice of law. He has a unique affinity for the entrepreneurial client due to his hands-on experience in business as a founder, President and CEO of BCH Communications. Mr. Epstein developed BCH Communications into a multi-million dollar telecommunications/internet business and also filled the in-house counsel role. This experience combined with his prior business litigation practice makes him uniquely qualified to advise and counsel growing companies.

Jesse Hirsh is the President and Managing Partner of Openflows Networks Ltd., a professional services firm specializing in free software for open source intelligence. From database development using MySQL, Postresql, PHP, Perl, Python, to VoIP Applications, as well as GIS Applications, Openflows harnesses the power of available open source technologies to directly address client needs. Educated at the Marshall McLuhan Program at the University of Toronto, Jesse has been speaking and
publishing in Europe, North & South America as well as regularly appearing on CBC Television and Radio as a technology and telecom analyst.

Fonality is Chris' third startup. Prior to Fonality, he founded and led Virtualis, a top-ten Web Hosting company. Chris bootstrapped Virtualis for 3 profitable years, until raising $8 million in venture capital, and eventually growing the firm to over $7 million in recurring revenue. Keys to Virtualis' growth were its Web-based control panel and its 44,000 member online reseller channel. Chris sold Virtualis to Allegiance Telecom (NASDAQ: ALGX) in late 2000, re-branded to hosting.com, and joined the Allegiance management team as Vice President of Web Hosting Services. There he led the acquisition and roll-up of additional hosting firms. In 1994, before Virtualis, Chris founded a media-focused system integration firm in Los Angeles.

Martin Steinmann joined Vesbridge Partners as a Venture Partner in August 2003. Martin is active in several of Vesbridge’s portfolio companies including serving as interim vice president of marketing for Pingtel. Martin has Vice President Marketing of Syndesis Inc, the leading provider of OSS Fulfillment solutions to carriers worldwide. Martin is a founding board member of SIPfoundry, the leading open source development community for SIP-based communications products and applications.

Hal Stern is Vice President and Chief Technology Officer for Software at Sun Microsystems. His role includes providing architectural and governance support across the operating system, management and connected customer platforms within software, as well as emphasizing elements of security and performance. Hal is also active in defining Sun's open source strategies.
In his 15 years with Sun, Hal has been the CTO for Sun Services, Chief Architect of Sun Professional Services, CTO for the Sun ONE (iPlanet) infrastructure products division and the Chief Technologist of Sun's Northeast US Sales Area.
Hal has co-authored technical books on networking and high availability techniques. Hal served as contributing editor for SunWorld Magainze (http://www.sunworld.com) for five years, and was on the editorial staff and advisory board of JavaWorld magazine.