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Shane Coughlan

Shane Coughlan is an expert in communication, security and business development. His professional accomplishments include spearheading the licensing team that elevated Open Invention Network into the largest patent non-aggression community in history, establishing the leading professional network of Open Source legal experts and aligning stakeholders to launch both the first law journal and the first law book dedicated to Open Source. Shane has extensive knowledge of Open Source governance, internal process development, supply chain management and community building. His experience includes engagement with the enterprise, embedded, mobile and automotive industries.

Ericsson Joins The OpenChain Governing Board

By Featured

Ericsson (STO: ERIC-B) has become a Platinum Member of the OpenChain Project and will assume a governing board seat. OpenChain maintains ISO/IEC 5230, the International Standard for open source license compliance. This standard defines the key requirements of a quality open source compliance program, and helps to both reduce errors and increase efficiency across the global supply chain.

“Ericsson has an exceptional reputation in the space of intellectual property management and has been engaged with the OpenChain community for a considerable period,” says Shane Coughlan, OpenChain General Manager. “Their engagement and thought leadership will provide a significant advantage to the growth of our International Standard for open source compliance in the telecommunication space and beyond. We look forward to collaborating to connect companies with the information and support they need to get maximum advantage from adoption of open source technology.”

About Ericsson

Ericsson enables communications service providers to capture the full value of connectivity. The company’s portfolio spans Networks, Digital Services, Managed Services, and Emerging Business. It is designed to help our customers go digital, increase efficiency and find new revenue streams. Ericsson’s innovation investments have delivered the benefits of mobility and mobile broadband to billions of people around the world. Ericsson stock is listed on Nasdaq Stockholm and on Nasdaq New York. www.ericsson.com

About the OpenChain Project

OpenChain began when a group of open source compliance professionals met in a conference lounge and chatted about how so much duplicative, redundant open source license compliance work was being done inefficiently in the software supply chain simply. They realized that while each company did the same work behind the scenes in a different manner the output for downstream recipients could not realistically be relied on because there was no visibility into the process that generated the output.

The answer the early principles of this discussion arrived at was to standardize open source compliance, make it transparent and build trust across the ecosystem. The project began as outreach to the community with the idea of a new standard for open source license compliance with slides titled, “When Conformity is Innovative.” A growing community quickly recognized the value of this approach and contributed to the nascent collaboration soon named The OpenChain Project.

OpenChain Welcomes FOSSAware As An Official Partner

By News

FOSSAware is the latest partner of the OpenChain Project. OpenChain maintains ISO/IEC 5230, the International Standard for open source license compliance.

“The OpenChain Project consists of a large, vibrant community of companies that use open source in products and solutions,” says Shane Coughlan, OpenChain General Manager. “There is also a growing partner community that consists of organizations offering legal, consulting and tooling support in the management and automation of open source compliance. We are glad to welcome FOSSAware to this program and look forward to collaborating in Israel and beyond.”

“Encompassing over two-thirds of the average commercial software, open-source has become an essential part of modern software developmen,” says Yaniv Ozerzon, Co-Founder & CEO at FOSSAware. “Undermanaging the consumption and redistribution of Open source is no longer a viable option. Having an effective Open Source compliance program is a key differentiator marking industry-leading enterprise companies such as Google, Microsoft, and others. We are excited and pleased to become an official partner of OpenChain and are set to assist companies in reaching conformant with the OpenChain specification, minimize Open Source associated risks, and reduce remediation costs.”

About FOSSAware

FOSSAware consultancy and services specializes in Free and Open Source software (“FOSS”) compliance. Our mission is to work alongside our clients to minimize the legal, operational and security risks associated with FOSS. We tailor each client a suitable compliance program, render support in the implementation process and services for on-going compliance. https://fossaware.com/

About the OpenChain Project

OpenChain began when a group of open source compliance professionals met in a conference lounge and chatted about how so much duplicative, redundant open source license compliance work was being done inefficiently in the software supply chain simply. They realized that while each company did the same work behind the scenes in a different manner the output for downstream recipients could not realistically be relied on because there was no visibility into the process that generated the output.

The answer the early principles of this discussion arrived at was to standardize open source compliance, make it transparent and build trust across the ecosystem. The project began as outreach to the community with the idea of a new standard for open source license compliance with slides titled, “When Conformity is Innovative.” A growing community quickly recognized the value of this approach and contributed to the nascent collaboration soon named The OpenChain Project.

Cisco Announces Conformance To OpenChain 2.1 (ISO/IEC 5230)

By Featured

Cisco announces conformance to OpenChain 2.1 (ISO/IEC 5230), the International Standard for open source license compliance. This standard defines the key requirements of a quality open source compliance program, and helps to both reduce errors and increase efficiency across the global supply chain.

“Cisco is a founding member of the OpenChain Project and has been instrumental in establishing our specification as an International Standard,” says Shane Coughlan, OpenChain General Manager. “Their adoption of OpenChain 2.1 underlines their continued thought-leadership in this space, and provides a strong signal across the networking market segment on the optimal approach to open source license compliance. This standard is designed to support companies of any size in ensuring excellent around management of open source intellectual property.”

“Cisco is honored to be part of an incredible team with the OpenChain Project,” says Prasad Iyer Director, Engineering at Product Operations in Cisco. “The industry collaboration, synergies and continuous improvements for our open chain community are truly commendable. We are excited to announce our conformance to this latest industry standard, as it brings additional consistency to our internal teams by streamlining compliance and in building Trust. Having accomplished a smooth transition of all our internal policies, processes and automated tools to be in accordance with this latest specification, it really helps us drive the value-add that we realize in terms of enhanced Productivity and world class quality for all our Products. Further, this has paved the way for us to be also ISO compliant and helps instill confidence among Cisco’s customers and partners with our continued commitment to OpenSource compliance. We sincerely look forward to continue our partnership with OpenChain Project and our peers across the industry in the successful evolution of OpenSource and adoption of our compliance standard”

About Cisco

Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO) is the worldwide leader in technology that powers the Internet. Cisco inspires new possibilities by reimagining your applications, securing your data, transforming your infrastructure, and empowering your teams for a global and inclusive future. Discover more on The Network and follow us on Twitter.

Cisco and the Cisco logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Cisco and/or its affiliates in the U.S. and other countries. A listing of Cisco’s trademarks can be found at www.cisco.com/go/trademarks. Third-party trademarks mentioned are the property of their respective owners. The use of the word partner does not imply a partnership relationship between Cisco and any other company.

About the OpenChain Project

OpenChain began when a group of open source compliance professionals met in a conference lounge and chatted about how so much duplicative, redundant open source license compliance work was being done inefficiently in the software supply chain simply. They realized that while each company did the same work behind the scenes in a different manner the output for downstream recipients could not realistically be relied on because there was no visibility into the process that generated the output.

The answer the early principles of this discussion arrived at was to standardize open source compliance, make it transparent and build trust across the ecosystem. The project began as outreach to the community with the idea of a new standard for open source license compliance with slides titled, “When Conformity is Innovative.” A growing community quickly recognized the value of this approach and contributed to the nascent collaboration soon named The OpenChain Project.

OpenChain Welcomes Hitachi Solutions As An Official Partner

By Featured

Hitachi Solutions is the latest official partner of the OpenChain Project. OpenChain maintains ISO/IEC 5230, the International Standard for open source license compliance. This standard defines the key requirements of a quality open source compliance program, and helps to both reduce errors and increase efficiency across the global supply chain. Our partners, like Hitachi Solutions, help to support companies in adoption and use.

“Hitachi Solutions has been involved in the OpenChain community for a considerable period,” says Shane Coughlan, OpenChain General Manager. “Lead by Watanabe San, their contribution in supporting the standard prior to our ISO release has been exceptional. I am delighted to announce that they have become an official service provider partner of the project. Their customer support in Japan and elsewhere around ISO/IEC 5230 will be invaluable.”

“OSS compliance work is not so difficult, as long as you know how to do it,” says Ayumi Watanabe, Group Manager of OSS Management Consulting Group, Hitachi Solutions, Ltd. “Some companies consume much of their time and energy to create their own OSS management methods from scratch. It is because they don’t know how to adopt existing standards or best practices. We can help them. Hitachi Solutions has been working on corporate OSS compliance issues for a long time. Through our contribution to the OpenChain Project, we deeply understand the vision and goal behind companies OSS management. Today, we are excited and pleased to be an official partner of OpenChain. We are looking forward to helping companies by using our extensive knowledge and abundant experience.”

About Hitachi Solutions

Hitachi Solutions is a core IT company of the Hitachi Group, which employs some 400,000 people worldwide. Through systems integration, we provide ideal solutions and products for customers. Headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, Hitachi Solutions’ reach extends to group companies in Japan and abroad, working with a worldwide network of alliance partners. We bring solutions and products to diverse countries and regions including Asia, the United States and Europe. Learn more at https://www.hitachi-solutions.com/

About the OpenChain Project

OpenChain began when a group of open source compliance professionals met in a conference lounge and chatted about how so much duplicative, redundant open source license compliance work was being done inefficiently in the software supply chain simply. They realized that while each company did the same work behind the scenes in a different manner the output for downstream recipients could not realistically be relied on because there was no visibility into the process that generated the output.

The answer the early principles of this discussion arrived at was to standardize open source compliance, make it transparent and build trust across the ecosystem. The project began as outreach to the community with the idea of a new standard for open source license compliance with slides titled, “When Conformity is Innovative.” A growing community quickly recognized the value of this approach and contributed to the nascent collaboration soon named The OpenChain Project.

OpenChain Welcomes OSADL As An Official Partner

By News

OSADL is the latest official partner of the OpenChain Project. OpenChain maintains ISO/IEC 5230, the International Standard for open source license compliance.

“The OpenChain Project is delighted to begin our formal relationship with OSADL,” says Shane Coughlan, OpenChain General Manager. “There are thousands of companies operating open source compliance programs across the world, and we are seeing convergence on ISO/IEC 5230 for efficiency, effectiveness and resource optimization. OSADL is well-positioned to help ensure the automation industry will be at the forefront of this development in the coming months and years.”

Carsten Emde, General Manager of OSADL, was delighted when he learned that OSADL was accepted as OpenChain service partner and pointed out: “After having executed a large number of audits and given numerous training courses on open source license compliance, we have learned a fundamental lesson: The most important prerequisite for a company to become license compliant is to establish suitable company processes. OpenChain and OSADL look back on a long shared history of activities to help companies do exactly this. The today’s conclusion of an official partnership between the two organizations is the obvious next step to intensify our cooperation and to improve our services for the good of all.”

About OSADL

The Open Source Automation Development Lab (OSADL) eG is a Germany-based organization intended to promote and coordinate the development of open source software for the machine, machine tool, and automation industry. https://www.osadl.org/

About the OpenChain Project

OpenChain began when a group of open source compliance professionals met in a conference lounge and chatted about how so much duplicative, redundant open source license compliance work was being done inefficiently in the software supply chain simply. They realized that while each company did the same work behind the scenes in a different manner the output for downstream recipients could not realistically be relied on because there was no visibility into the process that generated the output.

The answer the early principles of this discussion arrived at was to standardize open source compliance, make it transparent and build trust across the ecosystem. The project began as outreach to the community with the idea of a new standard for open source license compliance with slides titled, “When Conformity is Innovative.” A growing community quickly recognized the value of this approach and contributed to the nascent collaboration soon named The OpenChain Project.

OpenChain 2.1 is ISO/IEC 5230:2020, the International Standard for open source compliance.

By Featured, News

The Linux Foundation, Joint Development Foundation and the OpenChain Project are delighted to announce the publication of ISO/IEC 5230:2020 as an International Standard. Formally known as OpenChain 2.1, ISO/IEC 5230:2020 is a simple, clear and effective process management standard for open source license compliance. It allows companies of all sizes and in all sectors to adopt the key requirements of a quality open source compliance program.

Companies around the world can learn more about ISO/IEC 5230:2020, methods of self-certification, independent assessment or third-party certification, as well as access a large library of reference material at: https://www.openchainproject.org

ISO/IEC 5230:2020 is an open standard and all parties are welcome to engage with our community, learn from their peers, share their knowledge, and to contribute to the future of our standard. There is no charge to access and use our reference material, self-certification or to engage with our numerous calls, webinars, mailing lists and meetings.

“ISO/IEC 5230:2020 will improve OSS compliance, enhance trust in the supply chain, and reduce friction in transactions. It has been deployed as a de facto standard for four years and fostered exceptional engagement from a diversity of companies across multiple sectors,” says Shane Coughlan, OpenChain General Manager. “Our transition to a formal International Standard as ISO/IEC 5230:2020 marks an important inflection point for OpenChain and open source as a whole. For the first time there is an International Standard that defines open source compliance and process management. We look forward to expanding our community from hundreds to thousands of companies in the coming months, and we look forward to supporting many of these companies access and apply best practice material developed in real world market conditions.”

Toyota is the first company to formally announce conformance to ISO/IEC 5230:2020. Additionally, companies that have an OpenChain 2.0 conformant program will automatically conform with the requirements of ISO/IEC 5230:2020. You can learn more about the Toyota announcement here:
https://www.openchainproject.org/featured/2020/12/15/toyota-iso-5230

Arm

“Arm joined the OpenChain Project as a founding member because building trust across the supply chain and ensuring IP rights are fully respected has long been one of the highest priorities for Arm,” says Sami Atabani, Director of Third Party IP Licensing at Arm. “Establishing OpenChain as a formal ISO/IEC International Standard is an important milestone for open source governance as a field, and we look forward to collaborating with our peers and the wider open source community in seeking excellence and efficiency in software delivery.”

BMW CarIT

“At BMW CarIT we continually work on improving the quality of our processes,” says Helio Chissini de Castro, Senior Software Engineer at BMW CarIT. “We welcome the approval of ISO/IEC 5230:2020 as the right path for the future of software compliance and how companies will perceive it. We are proud to be part of the OpenChain governing board and wider community that make this possible.”

Bosch

“Bosch and its affiliates have a firm commitment to quality in all aspects of creating, deploying and supporting solutions and products,” says Hans Malte Kern, Head of the Center of Competence Open Source, Robert Bosch GmbH. “Our engagement with the OpenChain industry standard for open source compliance is part of this larger vision, and we are delighted to see it graduate ISO as a formal International Standard. We now have a global, universal and easily understood mechanism to build increased clarity and trust across the supply chain.”

Cisco

“Cisco is honored to partner with an incredible team on the OpenChain project. Earlier this year (June 2020), our conformance with the OpenChain’s latest 2.0 specification for open source compliance has been the needle mover towards streamlining compliance as an indispensable entity across our organization, building Trust and improving overall productivity,” says Prasad Iyer Director, Product Operations at Cisco. “Now with ISO/IEC standardization of this latest OpenChain specification, it really solidifies Cisco’s commitment to excellence in Open source governance along with OpenChain which is well positioned at the top of the Compliance stack. We’re sincerely looking forward to our continued collaboration and partnership with all our OpenChain project peers across industry in the successful evolution of more such formal standards in the years ahead.”

Fujitsu

“Fujitsu has contributed to the development of OpenChain as an industry standard for several years,” says Yasuko Aoki, Manager of Open Source Software Technology Center, Fujitsu Limited. “Our engagement is part of our broader engagement throughout the supply chain to promote excellence in governance and sustainability in practical deployment. The publication of OpenChain as a formal ISO/IEC International Standard is a significant milestone in the evolution of open source. We are proud of the accomplishment of all the contributors involved, and we look forward to the next steps in ensuring simple, reliable open source license compliance across the world.”

Google

“Google has been at the forefront of open source development and the use of open source in business since its inception,” says Max Sills, Lead Open Source Attorney at Google. “Our collaboration with the OpenChain Project has been an important part of supporting greater maturity and predictability in this space. The release of ISO/IEC 5230:2020 provides a clear path to future inter-company collaboration. Defining a standard for quality open source compliance lowers the cost of doing business, and makes it easier for the entire industry to comply with open source obligations.”

Microsoft

“OpenChain has played a leading role in building trust in the open source ecosystem,” said David Rudin, Microsoft Assistant General Counsel. “When you receive software that has been produced through an OpenChain conformant program, it’s a great indication that the open source compliance obligations were taken seriously. With Microsoft’s OpenChain conformant program, we are keeping the trust our customers have placed in us to make sure their software is compliant and reducing friction in software transactions. As OpenChain takes the next step of becoming an international standard, we’re looking forward to continuing to advance open source adoption and trust in the community.”

MOXA

“As the first Taiwanese company working with the OpenChain governing board, our work with the OpenChain Project is part of a larger vision for mature, sustainable open-source governance,” said David Chen, Engineering Director of the Technology & Research Corporate Division at Moxa. “Today’s announcement is a milestone in building efficiency and trust among companies using open source for innovative products and solutions. We look forward to working with our fellow board members in the deployment of OpenChain as an ISO/IEC International Standard to an audience of thousands of companies in the world.”

OPPO

“As a member of OpenChain, OPPO is very pleased to see OpenChain being accepted as an ISO/IEC International Standard,” says Andy Wu, Vice President of OPPO and President of Software Engineering. “We believe this will help to further promote open source compliance. OPPO very much hopes to promote OpenChain with its partners, so that open source compliance becomes more consistent and simple.”

Siemens

“Siemens is a founding member of the OpenChain Project and we have contributed to OpenChain since its beginning. Today we reached an outstanding milestone – the OpenChain specification is now an ISO/IEC International Standard,” says Oliver Fendt, Senior Manager Open Source. “Our engagement with OpenChain is based on a clear understanding that effective governance in open source must be practical, efficient, sustainable and affordable for everyone. With the ISO/IEC Standard we will enter a new stage in the evolution of our collective work, and we look forward to working with our peers in building further trust in the open source supply chain.”

Sony

“Sony has been part of the OpenChain industry standard and its related community for a substantial amount of time,” says Hisashi Tamai, SVP, Sony Corporation, representative of the Software Strategy Committee. “We have had the great pleasure to host the first meeting in Japan and support growth across this nation and abroad in the subsequent years. The publication of OpenChain by ISO as a formal International Standard is an important milestone in our shared mission to ensure excellence in open source. We look forward to working with our fellow board members, our diverse community and our colleagues at ISO in bringing this standard to thousands of new companies across the globe.”

Qualcomm

“This achievement by OpenChain brings into reality the effort that so many across the software ecosystem has recognized for years – that when you can build trust into the open source compliance ecosystem, you create a path towards consistent, efficient, and reliable license compliance,” says Dave Marr, Vice President, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. “We applaud the many contributors to OpenChain for achieving this terrific milestone, and for collaboratively building the internationally recognized standard for open source license compliance.”

Uber

“Uber has supported the development and deployment of the OpenChain industry standard from its early stages to becoming today’s de facto standard,” says Matthew Kuipers, Senior Counsel, Intellectual Property at Uber Technologies. “Today’s publication as an ISO International Standard is a key milestone in bringing clear, practical and effective open source license compliance to thousands of companies across the supply chain. We look forward to collaborating with our peers in accomplishing this mission and supporting our growing international community.”

Western Digital

“Western Digital has been part of the development and deployment of the industry standard for open source compliance since its formative years,” says Alan Tse, Associate General Counsel at Western Digital. “Today’s announcement marks a significant milestone in the maturity of both this standard and the wider field of open source governance. We look forward to working with our fellow board members and the diverse community of community participants in the growing adoption of a single, simple way to identify quality open source compliance programs.”

Global Community Quotes

“Today is the historic day for the OpenChain project and The Linux Foundation that the open standard has become an ISO/IEC standard,” said Masato Endo, Chair of the OpenChain Automotive Work Group. “Open Source is becoming more and more important in the automotive industry as well. The automotive industry’s supply chain is large and every company in the supply chain needs to manage OSS properly. I believe the OpenChain Specification will be a strong support for companies to build their OSS governance structure. I’d like to thank David Rudin and members of the JDF community for their efforts in obtaining ISO/IEC. I want to express my gratitude to Mark Gisi, David Marr and all OpenChain community members for their significant contributions to the project. Finally, I congratulate our leader Shane Coughlan on this great achievement!”

About the OpenChain Project

OpenChain began when a group of open source compliance professionals met in a conference lounge and chatted about how so much duplicative, redundant open source license compliance work was being done inefficiently in the software supply chain simply. They realized that while each company did the same work behind the scenes in a different manner the output for downstream recipients could not realistically be relied on because there was no visibility into the process that generated the output.

The answer the early principles of this discussion arrived at was to standardize open source compliance, make it transparent and build trust across the ecosystem. The project began as outreach to the community with the idea of a new standard for open source license compliance with slides titled, “When Conformity is Innovative.” A growing community quickly recognized the value of this approach and contributed to the nascent collaboration soon named The OpenChain Project.