Samsung Comments On Open-Source Restructuring

Over the weekend we reported on the Samsung Open-Source Group reportedly shutting down with many of the former OSG staffers in the US no longer employed by Samsung. We've now received comments both from Samsung in the US and Korea on the matter.

A Samsung spokesperson sent over the following statement last night:

Samsung Research America's Open-Source Group (OSG) has helped guide the company in effective consumption, collaboration, and development of open-source software since its formation in 2013. We have not shut down the OSG, but the group has recently been restructured. While we do not comment on personnel matters, we can say that we remain committed to open-source software research.

Meanwhile, overnight I heard from separately someone out of Samsung OSG in Korea. The main takeaways from that conversation were:

- Those that left Samsung OSG in the United States think the Open-Source Group was closed, but it was not actually closed.

- This was a re-organization in terms of Samsung's needs and budget.

- That re-organization caused "few to retire from Samsung's US office".

- Only US operations for Samsung Research America Open-Source Group are affected.

- Open-source work is still happening and they are trying to align that to their new business needs. Apparently open-source activities under a new strategy will be operational in their US office soon.

- I was pointed to new job postings here and here about looking for a networking leader and AI Domain Expert, respectively.

- They will be continuing work on the Linux kernel and EFL upstreams. According to this representative, for Wayland and GStreamer they have not seen major upstreams in a while (on at least the Wayland front where I pay close attention that seems quite surprising as while they may have not made any landmark announcements or new features in a while, they have still been serving as release managers and other ongoing work). But now will be focusing more on ONAP and on-device AI open-source areas.

That's the latest I've now heard from Samsung as of this morning. Will update if hearing anything else from Samsung representatives or their former OSG employees.