Oracle ditches Open Office
The software giant ‘donates’ the open source office suite to the Apache Foundation.


Oracle has given up its stake of Open Office, donating the open source software suite to the Apache Foundation.
Larry Ellison's company claimed the move was an attempt to "demonstrate its commitment" to open source and developer communities by allowing Open Office to become an entirely community-based project.
Oracle became the owner of the largest rival to Microsoft's Office software when it acquired Sun Microsystems back in 2009. It will now become part of the Apache Foundation's Incubator project.
A separate arm of Open Office, named The Document Foundation (TDF), branched off to create its own version free from Oracle soon after the acquisition, but the organisation said it would "welcome the reuniting" of Open Office and its LibreOffice suite.
However, despite a more similar outlook to open source than Oracle, TDF claimed it was unlikely the Apache Foundation would bring the two suites back together.
"The step Oracle has taken today was no doubt taken in good faith, but does not appear to directly achieve this goal," read a statement from TDF.
"The Apache community, which we respect enormously, has very different expectations and norms licensing, membership and more to the existing OpenOffice.org and LibreOffice projects."
Get the ITPro daily newsletter
Sign up today and you will receive a free copy of our Future Focus 2025 report - the leading guidance on AI, cybersecurity and other IT challenges as per 700+ senior executives
It added: "We regret the missed opportunity but are committed to working with all active community members to devise the best possible future for LibreOffice and OpenOffice.org."
Jennifer Scott is a former freelance journalist and currently political reporter for Sky News. She has a varied writing history, having started her career at Dennis Publishing, working in various roles across its business technology titles, including ITPro. Jennifer has specialised in a number of areas over the years and has produced a wealth of content for ITPro, focusing largely on data storage, networking, cloud computing, and telecommunications.
Most recently Jennifer has turned her skills to the political sphere and broadcast journalism, where she has worked for the BBC as a political reporter, before moving to Sky News.
-
Bigger salaries, more burnout: Is the CISO role in crisis?
In-depth CISOs are more stressed than ever before – but why is this and what can be done?
By Kate O'Flaherty Published
-
Cheap cyber crime kits can be bought on the dark web for less than $25
News Research from NordVPN shows phishing kits are now widely available on the dark web and via messaging apps like Telegram, and are often selling for less than $25.
By Emma Woollacott Published
-
Organizations shift away from Oracle Java as pricing changes bite
News A survey from Azul Systems finds that, along with cost, customers cite a preference for open source and the threat of a Java usage audit
By Emma Woollacott Published
-
Why Java 17 growth is ‘exploding’
News Java 17 is now the most popular LTS version, according to application data from New Relic, but what's driving this growth?
By Steve Ranger Published
-
SuiteWorld 2023: NetSuite's day-two announcements
Live Blog Keep up-to-date with all the day-two announcements from NetSuite SuiteWorld 2023
By Rory Bathgate Last updated
-
Can Oracle really be Linux's knight in shining armor?
Opinion The self-proclaimed champion of open source freedom would like you to forget about its history
By Richard Speed Published
-
Oracle’s Java subscription changes spark concerns over cost hikes for smaller businesses
News Smaller businesses could incur significant cost hikes as high as 1,400% with most new customers expected to pay at least double
By Ross Kelly Published
-
Oracle to launch 14 new cloud regions over the next year
News The company wants to support the demand for its customers as it looks to open at least two regions in each country it operates
By Zach Marzouk Published
-
Windows 11 has problems with Oracle VirtualBox
News Microsoft confirms compatibility issues as new operating system makes its debut
By Rene Millman Published
-
Oracle plans $1.2 billion campus in Nashville, Tennessee
News The company is building ‘new digital hubs’ to meet demand for its cloud products
By Mike Brassfield Published