OpenSSL New Governance Structure and Two New Projects

[Kajal Sapkota]

**

*We are announcing changes to the OpenSSL governance structure to 
enhance community engagement and strengthen our commitment to our 
Mission and Values <https://openssl-mission.org/>. These changes are 
part of our ongoing journey to empower and provide more opportunities 
and mechanisms for active participation in decision-making processes.*

*

New Governance Framework

OpenSSL has two independent but co-equal entities to support the Mission:

  *

    The OpenSSL Foundation <https://openssl-foundation.org/>primarily
    focuses on non-commercial communities.

  *

    The OpenSSL Corporation <https://openssl-corporation.org/>primarily
    focuses on commercial communities.

This balanced approach ensures both entities can operate independently 
and make decisions autonomously.

Board of Directors

The OpenSSL Management Committee (OMC) has been dissolved, and boards of 
directors have been elected for the Foundation and the Corporation. 
There are ten voting members for each organization. These boards share 
all the responsibilities and authorities of the former OMC co-equally.

Community Advisory Committees

To further engage our communities, we are establishing two advisory 
committees for each entity: a Business Advisory Committee (BAC) and a 
Technical Advisory Committee (TAC). The communities will elect the 
members of the BACs and TACs, creating a direct channel for community 
input in roadmap development and reflecting the diverse perspectives of 
OpenSSL's communities.

New Projects Under the OpenSSL Mission

The Bouncy Castle <https://www.bouncycastle.org/>and cryptlib 
<https://cryptlib.com/>projects have adopted the OpenSSL Mission and 
Values. Both projects are renowned cryptographic libraries that bring 
valuable expertise and resources to our mission, broadening the scope 
and impact of our work. Collaboration between the OpenSSL Library, 
Bouncy Castle, and cryptlib will benefit all our communities.

Support from the Foundation and the Corporation is available for all 
projects under the OpenSSL Mission on an opt-in (voluntary) basis.


Timeline and Future Plans

  *

    Business Advisory Committees for both entities will be established
    at the end of October 2024.

  *

    Technical Advisory Committees will be established by the end of
    April 2025.

  *

    The OpenSSL Technical Committee will be dissolved after establishing
    all the business and technical advisory committees.

  *

    An OpenSSL user conference in Europe will be held in the last
    quarter of 2025.

For more detailed information about these changes, including the current 
board of directors and advisory committees, visit our Blog 
<https://openssl-library.org/post/>.

If you have any questions or comments, reach out at marcom at openssl.org 
<mailto:marcom at openssl.org>.

Thank you for your continued support and we look forward to working 
together as we redefine our work practices and empower our communities 
to shape the future of OpenSSL.

Best regards,

Kajal Sapkota*

*Marketing and Communications SpecialistOpenSSL Teamkajal at openssl.org*
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