BlackBerry Limited (NYSE: BB; TSX: BB) has announced it is the first company based in North America to adopt and conform to OpenChain ISO / IEC 5230:2020 across its entire product portfolio. OpenChain is the International Standard for open-source license compliance and is designed to build trust in the supply chain. BlackBerry saw the need to lead in this space to adopt a higher standard for its software supply chain.
According to BlackBerry the new accreditation will enable its customers to have increased confidence in the company’s ability to manage the use of open source software across it’s Cybersecurity and IoT product portfolio. As the frequency and severity of cybersecurity attacks grow and stringent regulatory standards like President Biden’s Cybersecurity Executive Order come into effect, the need to have holistic visibility into the security of the software supply chain is of paramount importance, particularly when managing open-source software.
BlackBerry is the first company in North America to gain companywide OpenChain ISO/IEC 5230:2020 conformance and collaborated with OSS Consultants to achieve the accreditation. Open Chain encourages self-certification, independent assessment, and third-party certification as options for entities seeking to address the risk profile of their supply chain.
“It is hard to overstate the importance of today’s announcement,” says Shane Coughlan, OpenChain General Manager. “BlackBerry has one of the deepest industry pedigrees in bringing increased peace of mind to enterprise and governmental organizations. Certifying their open source software management underlines their commitment to excellence and serves as a beacon for other companies to follow.”
“We are extremely proud to be the first company based in North America to announce whole entity conformance to OpenChain ISO/IEC 5230:2020,” said Charles Eagan, Chief Technology Officer at BlackBerry. “BlackBerry continues to lead in securely developing software. We realized the importance of leveraging Open SourceSoftware and recognized the need for a robust process to manage the use of it in our products.”
“As trusted consultants that have helped organizations of all sizes implement Open Source Programs, we were thrilled to partner with BlackBerry to attain the first whole-entity OpenChain conformance in North America. The OpenChain Project has set a high standard of open-source compliance within the supply chain and across the world,” said Russ Eling, CEO and Founder of OSS Consultants.”
