Newsletter #1, May 2017

Welcome to the first OpenChain newsletter! This monthly round-up of developments provides a simple way to keep track of our progress. You can expect it to act as a heartbeat for what’s hot right now, what’s coming next, and how you engage. Comments, suggestions and contributions are always welcome at coughlan@linux.com!

Shane Coughlan
OpenChain Program Manager

OpenChain 1.1 Launch

The OpenChain Specification was originally launched in October 2016 and realized the goal of providing an industry standard for supply chain license compliance. In late April we took it further with the release of OpenChain Specification 1.1. This refined, easier to understand document incorporated suggestions for improvement received from over 100 contributors. It is supported by a new, free online self-certification process and refined curriculum material. Check out the press release to learn more.

OpenChain is now ready for mass-market adoption and we are proud to announce a 500% increase in conformant organizations over our previous specification. Siemens, Qualcomm, Pelagicore, Wind River and Harman self-certified in advance of our April 28th launch via the new online self-certification site. Well done all!

Want to self-certify? Start here: https://www.openchainproject.org/conformance

OpenChain Website Relaunch

The OpenChain 1.1 launch was accompanied by a revamp of our website. It is now more comprehensive, clearer and designed to continually improve over time. Key improvements include specialized sections for each of our work teams: Specification, Conformance and Curriculum. You will also find an updated FAQ, expanded news section and a dedicated press resource center. Check it out at www.openchainproject.org

OpenChain in the News

The OpenChain 1.1 launch had a great reception from the media. You can find us in:

• Enterprise Systems Journal
• Computer Weekly
• Linux Magazine
• LWN (paywall until May 18th)
• We also had a Specification 1.1 deep dive in LWN (paywall until May 18th)

OpenChain on Social Media

As OpenChain evolves towards broader adoption we have improved our outreach material. One of the most important things is making us easier to find. To accomplish this we have established a social media presence across several platforms.

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/openchainproject
• Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/openchainproj
• Google+: https://plus.google.com/communities/100865211686862235341

OpenChain Internationalization

Another important part of getting OpenChain adopted is ensuring that it is accessible across cultures and languages. We are delighted to announce that OpenChain has eight translations of the Specification underway. Our featured languages are:

• Chinese
• German
• Italian
• Japanese
• Korean
• Polish
• Portuguese
• Spanish

Watch this space for updates!

You can learn more about the translation process here: https://wiki.linuxfoundation.org/openchain/spec-translations

Improved Update Cadence

To support adoption we have decided to increase certainty about OpenChain releases. Moving forward we have decided on a process of yearly reviews regarding adding sections or expanding existing sections of the Specification, Conformance and Curriculum. This predictable release cadence will allow companies to adopt OpenChain 1.1 with the certainty that it will remain current throughout 2017 and into 2018.

This does not mean the Specification, Conformance or Curriculum work team activities will slow down or stop. Quite the opposite. We will continue to refine and expand our material based on real-world feedback. We have plenty of work queued for consideration.

Please note that we will always be ready to provide an update to our materials on a faster cadence for any bugs or other issues discovered. You can conceptualize our new approach as having a yearly review cycle for adding new features to the Specification or supporting material and having a quicker release process for addressing bugs or errors.

Our Work Team Calls Evolve

Finally, the OpenChain work team calls are evolving to match our project development. From now on our call on the First Monday of the month will be a work team development call. Our call on the Third Monday will be an update call focused on ensuring everyone is in-sync regarding progress. You can get more information, including dial-in details, here:
https://www.openchainproject.org/community

What’s Next?

OpenChain’s community of contributors is continuing to grow. You can expect work to begin immediately on the next version of our Specification, Conformance service and Curriculum. However, our next major release is not scheduled for at least a year. This allows us time to carefully incorporate feedback from real-world use and to systematically improve readability, cohesion and translatability throughout all our material.

In the short term you can expect the release of new in-boarding material, great ways for adopters to advertise OpenChain Conformance, and new services to grow our community. Learn more in the next newsletter or on the OpenChain mailing list: https://lists.linuxfoundation.org/mailman/listinfo/openchain

License and Trademarks

Copyright 2017 The Linux Foundation. This newsletter is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic (CC BY-ND 2.0). Please feel free to share it onwards! OpenChain is a trademark of The Linux Foundation. It may be used according to The Linux Foundation Trademark Policy and the OpenChain Terms of Use.

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