Google is upping its commitment to the open-source community by becoming a Platinum member of The Linux Foundation.
The search engine giant was previously a Silver member of the non-profit organization, and actively contributed to over 10,000 open source projects. Google has been supporting several open source communities of The Linux Foundation, including Cloud Foundry, Node.js and the Open API Initiative.
Platinum membership is the highest level of membership of The Linux Foundation. It will help Google to access the extensive knowledge and experience in open source governance, legal and technical topics.
The Platinum members get a seat on The Linux Foundation Board of Directors. Sarah Novotny, the head of open source strategy for Google Cloud Platform, will grace that seat.
“Google is one of the biggest contributors to and supporters of open source in the world, and we are thrilled that they have decided to increase their involvement in The Linux Foundation,” said Jim Zemlin, executive director, The Linux Foundation. “We are honored that Sarah Novotny, one of the leading figures in the open source community, will join our board – she will be a tremendous asset.”
As a Platinum member of The Linux Foundation, Google will pay $500,000 a year, compared to $100,000 a year for Silver membership.
“Open source is an essential part of Google’s culture, and we’ve long recognized the potential of open ecosystems to grow quickly, be more resilient and adaptable in the face of change, and create better software” said Sarah Novotny. “The Linux Foundation is a fixture in the open source community. By working closely with the organization, we can better engage with the community-at-large and continue to build a more inclusive ecosystem where everyone can benefit.”
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The Linux Foundation currently has over 800 members. The other Platinum members include AT&T, Cisco, Fujitsu, Hitachi, Huawei, IBM, Intel, Microsoft, NEC, Oracle, Qualcomm, Tencent, Samsung and VMware.
