Slashdot: Wind River lays off FreeBSD developers; Q&A

Q: WRS has already been through two
rounds of layoffs in the recent past. Why this third set of lay
offs now? Are the FreeBSD developers the only ones affected?

Wind River has only had two rounds of layoffs. During the second
round Wind River decided to divest itself of the FreeBSD project.
We spent several weeks looking for a suitable corporate sponsor but
did not find any company with sufficient interest and financial
capability in this challenging economy. This week’s layoff of the
FreeBSD employees is therefore Wind River’s “final option” in
executing the plans set in motion by the second round of
layoffs.

Q: WRS currently own the trademark “FreeBSD”.
Do WRS plan to retain the trademark? If so, why? If not, will WRS
let the trademark lapse? Or are there plans to transfer it to a
third party, such as the FreeBSD Foundation?

Wind River plans to ensure continuation of the altruistic, open
stewardship of the FreeBSD trademark. We feel strongly that the
FreeBSD project must be protected and encouraged and that a FreeBSD
trademark in the wrong hands could be very detrimental. We continue
to search for the best solution. No specific third-party has yet
been determined, but transfer to a suitable third-party is the
leading option being considered.

Q: WRS own the “bsd.com” domain. Will that be
retained?

Possibly. Wind River will continue to invest in BSD/OS and
participate as a highly interested member of the *BSD community. As
such, the bsd.com domain may be important for Wind River. We are
weighing this against the needs of the *BSD community and hope to
resolve the issue later this month.”

Complete Story