Dear Friends of The Apache Software Foundation:
Exactly ten years ago, the highly dedicated members of the Apache Group decided to secure the future of the Apache HTTP Server by forming The Apache Software Foundation.
Since then, our globally distributed, all-volunteer membership has grown to exceed 300 individuals who represent some of the world's greatest talent in Open Source. In collaboration with more than 2,000 Committers from across six continents, the ASF oversees the development of 65 leading Open Source projects, including Apache HTTP Server — still the world’s most popular Web server software since its inception fifteen years ago.
We are very proud of our many achievements over the past years, and recognize that our success is testament to our community's deep commitment to meeting a critical need for high quality, freely available software. We are thankful to everyone who has contributed their time, energy and resources to help the ASF achieve so many successes, both internally and externally, by supporting the Open Source community through hundreds of mailing lists, as well as numerous mentoring and outreach activities.
We look back on the success of The Apache Way with confidence: participation is at an all-time high, with 33 projects in the Apache Incubator, and more than two dozen codebases being explored in the Apache Labs.
We also recognize that the ASF has become more than a trusted resource for developers; it is also a worthy organization for tax-deductible donations from the business community and individuals alike. Through the financial contributions of our sponsors, the ASF continues to power hundreds of millions of sites, projects, and software solutions across the planet (Apache software even powers satellites in outer space!).
This anniversary also gives us an occasion to formally acknowledge the loyalty and support of the millions of users responsible for our incredible success over the past decade. Through your commitment, the ASF continues to be the standard-bearer for Open Source excellence. We appreciate your ongoing support by sharing our story with your friends, and co-workers, and considering making a personal donation or becoming a sponsor of the ASF.
Join us in celebrating this important milestone throughout the year, as we highlight numerous ASF projects, people, and events in honor of the occasion. The festivities culminate in Oakland, California, 2-6 November 2009, at ApacheCon US, the official conference, trainings, and expo of the ASF (I am writing this letter from Amsterdam, where ApacheCon Europe is currently taking place).
So many of us can't imagine the world before the ASF, yet it seems that the years have quickly flown by. With so much to look forward to in the coming decade, we appreciate your help in keeping the ASF a relevant, vibrant, and active community, heartily invite you to share your thoughts with us by dropping us a line on the ASF blog.
Sincerely,
Jim Jagielski, Chairman
The Apache Software Foundation
25 March 2009
The Apache Software Foundation
