The Open Software Foundation has added an Allied Sponsorship level of membership to its ranks at the behest of some of its Associate members who are currently without a voice on the board. NEC Corp, Siemens Nixdorf Informationssysteme AG, Silicon Graphics Inc, Sony Corp and Transarc Corp, all formerly Associate Sponsors, have banded together in a new grouping – the Allied Sponsor class – and have elected Siemens Nixdorf to represent them at the Foundation board level. Associates pay dues of $200,000 a year but do not automatically get a board seat. Executive members pay $1m and get an automatic place on the board. When enough Associate members get together with dues in excess of $1m in total, they will now get a shared seat on the board.
