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June 2021
01 |INDUSTRY INSIGHTS
Open Source is Rising to the Challenge of Cybersecurity
Americans will remember May 2021 after the ransomware attack on the Colonial Pipeline resulted in a gas crisis in southeastern United States. On May 12th, President Joe Biden signed an Executive Order to boost the federal government’s cyber defense and to warn everyone that technology security is critical.
According to aZDNet article, “the Executive Order recognized the vital importance of Open Source Software (OSS). ‘Within 90 days of publication of the preliminary guidelines … shall issue guidance identifying practices that enhance the security of the software supply chain.’“ The Executive Order also notes government users must ensure the integrity and provenance of software and must try to provide a Software Bill of Materials (SBOM).
The Linux Foundation reviews actions the organization, businesses, and partners have been taking for years to secure OSS in David Wheeler's blog. He addresses how they have created tools and standards organizations need to comply with the Executive Order and notes thatThe Software Package Data Exchange (SPDX)project has been working for over a decade to enable software transparency and the exchange of software bill of materials (SBOM) data necessary for security analysis.
Global Open Source Intelligence Market to Garner $29.19 Billion
According to a 2020 Allied Market Research report, the global Open Source intelligence industry reached $5.02 billion in 2019 and is projected to see $29.19 billion by 2026, growing at a CAGR of 24.7% from 2020 to 2027. North America contributed to the largest market share in 2019 and is anticipated to lead the forecast period. Asia-Pacific is expected to experience the highest CAGR of 26.2% from 2020 to 2027.
You've most likely heard of TikTok, but did you know Kuaishou — a mobile app and Internet platform that allows users to record and share videos — topped Google Play and Apple App Store's and "Most Downloaded" lists in 8 countries in 2020 with over 775 million users worldwide? We welcome Kuaishou as an Open Source advocate!
Shopify Makes International Headlines from Russia to Canada
Tech publications including ZDNet, IAM, The Patent Lawyer, Tech Company News, OpenNET and betakit, cover the news that Shopify — one of the largest global eCommerce platforms — joins OIN. With tools based upon Open Source Software (OSS) such as Ruby on Rails, Shopify wants to protect Linux and OSS. More than 1.7 million retailers over 175 countries rely on Shopify to start, grow, market and manage their businesses.
03 |INDUSTRY FOCUS
Open Source Technologies & the Internet of Energy (IoE) Boosts Innovations, while Collaboration Fosters New Business Models
The worldwide pandemic has impacted virtually every industry and energy is no exception. As lockdowns continue into mid-year, disruptions will continue. With the coronavirus, economists are finding it especially difficult to predict oil’s outlook, while renewable energy faces challenges of its own with supply chain disruption, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA).
Future energy developments will continue shaping the ways power is produced, consumed and managed. In fact, LF Energy — which hosts 12 Open Source energy projects — has accelerated development of clean energy projects among others, according to Power Technology.
As for the future? Energy Watch compiled a list of “The Top Renewable and Nonrenewable Energy Trends to Watch in 2021”. Among them, greater access to energy sources and higher standards of living in developing countries are likely to cause a 20% rise in the demand for global energy by 2040. China and India are expected to be about 50% of this growth. Several OIN members that supply the energy sector rely on Open Source tools.
04 |NEW MEMBER HIGHLIGHTS
Since 2009, MARQETA’S founder and CEO — Jason Gardner — had a vison to simplify payments for businesses. The company evolved, introducing the world’s 1st open API modern card issuing platform. MARQETA has issued over 270 million cards in more than 35 countries. It has been recognized among the “50 Most Innovative Finance Companies of 2021” by Fast Company, received the “CNBC 2020 Disruptor 50” list and made Forbes “Fintech 50 2020.” We welcome MARQETA to OIN!
06 |UPCOMING EVENTS
The 16th Annual OCOW— The 16th Annual Open Source China Open Source World Summit Forum will be held June 17-18th, both online and in-person.
All Things Open 2021— a hybrid event with in-person and virtual sessions — is October 18-19th in Raleigh, NC.
Biju is a jovial tech lawyer, Open Source advocate, worldwide traveler, foodie (Chinese is his favorite cuisine) and fraternal twin brother. Biju attended Kendriya Vidyalaya, followed by the Army Institute of Law where he earned his Bachelor of Law degree. His professional career began working as a corporate associate attorney for a number of small, private practice law firms. His 1st exposure to Open Source occurred in 2014 when he was asked to provide business input about the country’s Open Source Government Policy and evaluate its implementation plan. Armed with a new interest in Open Source, Biju joined OIN as the Licensing Lead of India in 2015. In 2017, his career path took an interesting twist, and he joined the Software Freedom Law Center’s (SFLC) office in India as the Executive Director, leading many initiatives, including some centered around promoting and advocating Open Source innovation before he started his own law practice with a business partner in 2019.
“Coming from an ecosystem where resources are limited and existing resources must be utilized as efficiently as possible, Open Source is the collective strength and way to move the country and world economies forward,” Biju says. “Although companies here may not be contributing to Open Source, many businesses and most private firms are using Open Source. Some are even running their entire Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems on Open Source technologies.”
07 |COMPLIMENTARY SUBSCRIPTION
As an OIN member, Patent Lawyer Magazine — an Intellectual Property (IP) law publication focused solely on patent law — would like to offer you a complimentary online subscription to its publications and access to its full archives.
OpenUK — a not-for-profit organization that advocates Open Source Software, Open Source Hardware and Open Data across the UK — is accepting nominations to recognize UK Leadership in Open Technology.
