Zend Framework Headed to the Linux Foundation as Open Source Laminas Project
Nearly 14 years after Zend started its effort to build a PHP competitor to the .NET and JavaEE development frameworks, the company is gearing up to contribute the Zend Framework to seed the new Luminas open-source project at the Linux Foundation.
Zend Framework as an idea was first discussed back in October 2005. The 1.0 release debuted nearly two years late in July 2007 and has been steadily improved over the last dozen years. In 2015, however, Zend was acquired by software development firm Rogue Wave, which has now decided to transition the Zend Framework.
“Over the years, Zend Framework has seen wide adoption across the PHP ecosystem, with an emphasis on the Enterprise market,” Matthew Weier O'Phinny, principal engineer at Zend by Rogue Wave Software wrote in a blog. “It has formed the basis of numerous business application and services including eCommerce platforms, content management, healthcare systems, entertainment platforms and portals, messaging services, APIs, and many others.”
Why Move?
The rationale behind moving Zend Framework to the Linux Foundation is relatively simple – to help grow the base of contributors and adopters. Zend Framework was led by Zend and it didn't easily allow others to easily contribute. It's a situation that led to multiple other PHP efforts to emerge, like Symphony among others, which have arguable eclipsed Zend Framework in usage and importance over the past decade.
In moving to the Linux Foundation, there is also a need for a new name that moves the Zend Framework away from being so closely associated with Zend.
“Laminas is the plural of lamina, meaning a thin layer,” the Laminas project page states. ” We feel it succinctly summarizes the goals of the project in many ways: Components you can compose or layer into any application; Middleware architectures are often termed layered.
Governance
The Laminas project is still at a very nascent stage and won't be fully operational for a few months yet. The plan is to secure broader sponsorship in the effort and create a governance model that is similar to most Linux Foundation Collaboration Projects with a Governing Board for business decisions and a Technical Steering Committee for technical concerns.
Sean Michael Kerner is a senior editor at EnterpriseAppsToday and InternetNews.com. Follow him on Twitter @TechJournalist.
Sean Michael is a writer who focuses on innovation and how science and technology intersect with industry, technology Wordpress, VMware Salesforce, And Application tech. TechCrunch Europas shortlisted her for the best tech journalist award. She enjoys finding stories that open people's eyes. She graduated from the University of California.
