Samsung Electronics Obtains International Standard Certification for Open Source System

Linux Foundation's 'OpenChain Project' Compliant with ISO·IEC Standards Companies

Photo by Samsung Electronics

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Heung-soon] Samsung Electronics announced on the 8th that it has obtained international certification as a company compliant with the standards of the 'OpenChain Project.'

The OpenChain Project was initiated in 2016 by the Linux Foundation, a U.S.-based nonprofit organization, and grants certification to companies that have effective and consistent open source compliance systems in place.

Open source software has its source code publicly available, allowing anyone to use it freely; however, failure to comply with mandatory requirements can lead to issues such as copyright infringement. Open source compliance refers to the internal processes within a company designed to prevent such problems.

The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) adopted the OpenChain Project certification as an international standard for the first time last year. The detailed competency evaluation criteria assess whether companies meet standards in areas such as ▲appropriateness of internal policies and systems ▲expertise of responsible organizations and personnel ▲and whether internal members have undergone training.

Since 2012, Samsung Electronics has established a dedicated open source organization and system, conducting various activities to ensure safe and efficient use of open source. It previously established a global integrated open source policy and built a system to identify open source licenses and comply with mandatory requirements throughout all development stages?from software planning, implementation, to verification. Online and offline training programs are also operated to enhance developers' understanding.

Since 2014, Samsung has held the annual 'Samsung Open Source Conference (SOSCON).' This is the largest event in Korea where software developers gather to share information and insights on the latest technologies based on open source, such as 5G, artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, and big data. This year's conference plans not only to share open source technology but also to disseminate compliance know-how that can enhance the overall trustworthiness of the domestic software supply chain.

Choi Seung-beom, Vice President of Samsung Research, said, "The importance of open source is highlighted as it accounts for up to 70% of software used across all industries," adding, "We will actively share the know-how we have accumulated so far and grow together with domestic small and medium-sized enterprises and developers."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.