Updates to the Community Program
As a software company deeply committed to fostering a vibrant community around our products, we continually evaluate and refine our initiatives to better align with our goals and resources. With this in mind, we are announcing changes to our community program aimed at enhancing its efficiency and impact.
Over the years, we have proudly offered free licenses for non-commercial use of our operating system across multiple architectures. This initiative was born out of our desire to support enthusiasts, hobbyists, and students in their exploration and learning journeys. However, the overwhelming surge in demand has strained our ability to adequately process requests while simultaneously delivering the intended benefits.
Despite our initial aspirations for robust community engagement, the reality has fallen short of our expectations. The level of participation in activities such as contributing open-source software, creating wiki articles, and providing assistance on forums has not matched the scale of the program. As a result, we find ourselves at a crossroads, compelled to reassess and recalibrate our approach.
In light of these considerations, we are implementing a strategic shift in our community program. Effective immediately, we will discontinue offering new community licenses for non-commercial use for Alpha and Integrity. Existing holders of community licenses for these architectures will get updates for those licenses and retain their access to the Service Portal until March 2025 for Alpha and December 2025 for Integrity. All outstanding requests for Alpha and Integrity community licenses will be declined. This decision is necessary to ensure a vibrant VMS Software OpenVMS community thrives and adapts to new technologies. Continuation of free licensing for old architectures does not incentivize community members to adapt to OpenVMS x86-64, virtualization, and future technology developments.
For x86 community licenses, we will be transitioning to a package-based distribution model (which will also replace the student license that used to be distributed as a FreeAXP emulator package). A vmdk of a system disk with OpenVMS V9.2-2 and compilers installed and licensed will be provided, along with instructions to create a virtual machine and the SYSTEM password. The license installed on that system will be valid for one year, at which point we will provide a new package. While this may entail some inconvenience for users, it enables us to continue offering licenses at no cost, ensuring accessibility without compromising our sustainability. You can sign up for this license here. We will also send the link to it to all users who have previously requested an x86 community license, who we would like to thank for their patience.
We recognize that change can be challenging, and we want to express our gratitude to the community for your understanding and support during this transition. Our commitment to fostering collaboration and innovation remains unwavering, and we believe these adjustments will ultimately serve to strengthen our ecosystem.
By focusing our efforts on areas where we can maximize impact and engagement, we aim to cultivate a thriving community that empowers users and enriches the broader software landscape. Stay tuned for further updates and announcements as we continue to shape the future of our community program. Your feedback and insights are invaluable as we navigate these changes together.
