OpenChain is a project that builds trust in open source by making open source license compliance simpler and more consistent.
The OpenChain specification defines a core set of requirements that every quality program must meet. OpenChain Conformance allows organizations to show their compliance with these requirements.
The OpenChain curriculum supports this process by providing extensive reference material for effective open source training and management.
The result is that open source license compliance becomes more predictable, understandable and efficient for all participants in the software supply chain.
Recently at the Open Compliance Summit that is being held in Yokohama, Japan, The announcement was made in which Google, Facebook and Uber joined the project as platinum members.
In which we cannot forget that it is almost a month in which Uber joined the Linux Foundation as a Gold member, Uber has been an active and committed member of the open source community, leveraging, contributing and developing open source solutions.
Three greats join the OpenChain project
Google, Facebook and Uber as platinum members, will become part of the board of directors. Shane Coughlan, CEO of OpenChain, says that as the project has matured, this is a logical point for three big tech companies to join.
Facebook, Google, and Uber are perfect new members at this point, as we move to become a formal industry standard and scale very significantly in various markets.
In particular, we are confident that we can clearly communicate the benefits of OpenChain to the public and we can clearly show the diversity and knowledge of our board as well, Coughlan said.
As platinum members, a representative from each company will join the OpenChain Governing Board.
Other platinum members of the OpenChain project that can be highlighted are: Adobe, ARM Holdings, Cisco, Comcast, GitHub, Harman International, Hitachi, Qualcomm, Siemens, Sony, Toshiba, Toyota and Western Digital.
Strength lies in unity
Beyond expanding the project board, Facebook, Google, and Uber are also helping to expand OpenChain's influence in the open source world.
As all three companies are extensive participants in the open source community and operate some of the world's largest data centers, cloud platforms and infrastructure, for a wide range of open source hardware and software.
"In the tech industry, it's easy to take for granted how important open source is to innovation and community collaboration"
"However, the lack of consistent open source policies remains an obstacle to its adoption across the supply chain and across industries," said Matt Kuipers.
Along with the announcement of these new members, the project also announced Open Compliance Program (Open Compliance Program).
With the Linux Foundation, which acts as a portal for Linux Foundation projects that offer reference material and assistance for companies and individuals looking to use open source software in a compatible way.
Similarly, OpenChain offers a training curriculum and reference materials for open source compliance, as well as a free online self-certification.
"We are very excited to see three innovative technology leaders join the project and thank our Governing Board for their expertise," said Shane Coughlan, General Manager of OpenChain. "We believe your support will be a vital component as we continue to build on a successful and meaningful industry standard for open source supply chain compliance."
Facebook, Google and Uber rely on open source to create a number of services and are all involved in developing standards for free software.
Companies already contribute to various Linux projects, including the Linux Kernel and the Open Compute project.