14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft's spinoff, known as the CodePlex Foundation, has now been renamed the Outercurve Foundation, in an attempt to help reduce the confusion that existed between the Foundation and the open-source repository named CodePlex.com.
The open-source foundation supported by Microsoft in 2009, decided that, at a year from creation, after developing a governance model, hiring an executive and a technical management and electing an independent Board of Directors, it would be best to rebrand.
Besides all this, the foundation has created a project acceptance and management process that give it the possibility of accepting and supporting contributed open source projects, and six projects have already been accepted.
In its first year, the foundation grouped related projects into two galleries: the ASP.NET Open Source Gallery and the Systems Infrastructure and Integration Gallery.
These house open source projects and Paula Hunter, Executive Director, Outercurve Foundation said that they have “accomplished a great deal in our first year and have been successful engaging with the FOSS community and corporate and independent developers.
“The name ‘Outercurve Foundation’ speaks to our ambition to be a foundation on the leading edge of the open source world, representing the interests of the growing audience of developers and corporations engaging with the traditional FOSS community.”
Sam Ramji, President of the Board of Directors, Outercurve Foundation added that the “open source development is becoming a mainstream IT strategy, but IT departments are looking for a model to turn that strategy into reality.
“The foundation’s new name will increase recognition of its independence and reinforce its position as a participant and influencer in the FOSS and corporate development communities.”
Another company that made major name and policy changes is the OpenOffice.org Project, which has separated itself from Oracle, reports Mary Jo Foley.
OpenOffice.org is now called The Document Foundation, and its development and direction will be determined by a steering committee of developers and project managers.
The OpenOffice.org suite will temporarily be called LibreOffice, and it will stay this way until Oracle decides whether or not it donates the OpenOffice.org brand to the group.