Optaros Inc., an open source software consulting and systems integration firm, today announced the appointment of Ernie von Simson to its board of directors.

Von Simson is a Senior Partner of Ostriker von Simson, Inc., a firm that develops IT strategies concerning the assessment, acquisition, and management of emerging technologies and technology-related ventures. He also co-chairs the CIO Strategy Exchange, which brings together invited CIOs from the largest multinational enterprises along with entrepreneurs leading truly innovative technology firms, CEOs from major computer companies, and IT thought leaders.

“Ernie von Simson will bring a strong understanding of current technology needs and trends from an enterprise perspective,” said Optaros President and CEO Bob Gett. “Through Ernie´s insight, Optaros will be even better-suited to partner with our clients and provide solutions to their most pressing challenges. We are excited to have him as part of the team.”

“Many of the issues facing CIOs including increased control, lower cost of solutions, and speed of delivery can be answered through the use of open source software,” said von Simson. “Optaros is uniquely positioned to help enterprises adopt open source and leverage its benefits.”

In addition to Optaros, von Simson is a Director of Arcsight, BDNA, Good Technology and Levanta. Previously, von Simson was co-founder of the Research Board where he directed the professional staff into examinations of evolving business models, advanced technology, business applications, and IT best practices. He holds a B.A. in economics from Brown University and an M.B.A. from New York University.

About Optaros Optaros is a consulting and systems integration firm that helps enterprises solve IT business problems by providing services and solutions that maximize the benefits of open source software. Bringing together experts in creating enterprise IT solutions and experts in the power of open source, Optaros plans and builds business systems that give you better value today and increased control in the future. For more about Optaros, go to www.optaros.com