LaSalle, Ontario April 9, 2008 -- A new web start-up has announced a prize of up to $25,000 CAD for the addition of voice and video chat to Pidgin, a free instant messaging client. Through their new free software funding site, FOSS Factory Inc. (http://www.fossfactory.org/) has committed $5,000 CAD, and promised another $10,000 CAD to match contributions from any other contributors.

Pidgin, a program that lets users talk to their friends on MSN, Yahoo!, Google Talk, and many other systems all at the same time, has gained a wide, loyal user base thanks to its generous licensing terms, and its professional quality and usability. But its users have been wishing for voice and video support for several years. Partly due to the difficulty of implementing this feature, Pidgin's FAQ states, "It could be tomorrow, or it could be in 2099."

"Pidgin voice and video is a perfect example of a free software project that could use a boost," said John-Paul Gignac, founder of FOSS Factory, and a successful entrepreneur and free software enthusiast. "There's lots of demand for the feature, but until now, there's been no way to translate that demand into solid development funds."

FOSS Factory's new system lets participants split bounties into tiny sub-projects. That way, developers can collaborate without worrying about how the money will be divided, and they can get paid as they go. There is no need for project bidding, or exclusive developer selection: Anyone can participate as their time permits.

"Compared to other FOSS funding techniques, we help dedicated FOSS users contribute funds in a more effective, meaningful way", said Abdullah Bakhach, FOSS Factory's director of business development. "Our monthly sponsorship system can generate a much-needed revenue stream for highly-voted projects."

FOSS Factory Inc. is offering this prize as a way of introducing their website to the FOSS community. They are appealing to Pidgin's users to help bring the bounty to the full $25,000.

FOSS Factory charges $10 for posting a new project on their site, or $15/month for unlimited project posting. But they don't get a dime from project sponsorships. "We feel it's very important to keep our hands out of the development phase," said John-Paul Gignac. "The site is intended as a service to the community, so we don't want to interfere with that aspect."

About FOSS Factory:
FOSS Factory's mission is to accelerate the advancement of free/open source software by helping people collaborate on the design, funding, and development of innovative software ideas.

Contact:
Abdullah Bakhach, director of business development
FOSS Factory Inc.
519-505-0602
http://www.fossfactory.org/