Meeting Minutes: Board and BAC Monthly (2025-07-28)

Below are the minutes from the Business Advisory Committee meeting. All attendees and stakeholders are encouraged to review the details and actively participate in the ongoing discussion. This is a valuable opportunity to engage with BAC representatives, offer input, and help shape the direction of OpenSSL. All of you support our collective commitment to transparency, collaboration, and continuous improvement.

Attendees

@James Bourne, @Jaroslav Reznik, @Jeff Johnson, @Katerina Micova, @Paul Dale, @Randall Becker, @Tim Hudson
Absent: @Anton Arapov, @Billy Brumley

Agenda

1. OpenSSL Conference and community engagement opportunities

2. Coordination of session proposals and logistics

3. Budget planning and sponsorship support

4. Outreach activities and swag distribution

5. Release planning and deprecated feature removal strategy

6. Travel, event participation, and logistical support

Key Points

• Jaroslav proposed using the Prague OpenSSL Conference and Brno meetups to increase face-to-face engagement, including workshops and community dinners.

• Jeff outlined plans for a “Friends of OpenSSL” dinner in RTP, seeking support from AWS and NetApp.

• James described success integrating OpenSSL outreach into tech startup events like Something Fest (Brisbane).

• Randall noted that while willing to host a local event in Toronto, he faces travel limitations due to cost and pet logistics.

• Katerina and Tim highlighted LinkedIn as the main communication channel for the OpenSSL Corporation and emphasized active social media presence.

• Tim reported ~100 session proposals received for the conference and urged members to rate and comment on them promptly.

• The idea of a community-led session track, separate from the OpenSSL Corporation/Foundation influence, received support from multiple members.

• Tim reminded members of the $50,000 annual budget for community initiatives, encouraging proactive use of funds without formal approval steps.

• Jeff volunteered to secure corporate sponsorships for the OpenSSL-branded events and dinners.

• James confirmed receipt of OpenSSL swag (mugs, shirts, pens) for outreach distribution.

Community and Technical Engagement

• Randall discussed barriers to travel, including insurance and pet travel compliance, and requested support with logistics.

• Katerina and Tim shared insights on European travel and pet regulations to assist those with similar challenges.

• The group reaffirmed the importance of in-person contact for gathering meaningful feedback and strengthening the community.

• Participants expressed support for extending outreach efforts through regional events, webinars, and partnerships with tech ecosystems.

• Randall highlighted the opportunity to organize a Toronto-based meetup if support and interest exist.

Future Releases and Deprecation Strategy

• The committee discussed timing and communication regarding the removal of deprecated features in OpenSSL 4.0.

• SSLv3 and the engine subsystem were highlighted as key legacy components under consideration.

• Randall proposed introducing a compatibility layer to ease the transition for users reliant on deprecated APIs.

• Consensus formed around publishing a collective recommendation by October 2025, accompanied by community feedback and support materials.

• The group discussed OpenSSL Corporation’s potential role in offering paid migration assistance as a business opportunity.

Upcoming Actions

• BAC members agreed to collaborate on a unified proposal addressing deprecated API removal and to circulate a draft within a week.

• Members were encouraged to review and rate the proposals for the OpenSSL Conference.

• Community dinners, swag usage, and meetup organization efforts will continue to be coordinated with potential sponsor support.

• Attendees were urged to finalize plans for conference attendance and share updates on community initiatives.

Future Meetings and Events

• The next BAC meeting will include a review of the API deprecation proposal and feedback gathered from respective communities.

• A potential BAC-hosted session or panel will be planned for the Prague conference.

• Randall and Paul will explore remote or hybrid participation options for the October event.

• Coordination will continue between the OpenSSL Corporation and the OpenSSL Foundation to align community and event strategies.

• Outreach will expand to include participation in global events like the PKI Consortium conference in Kuala Lumpur.

Action Items

Randall → Draft API deprecation proposal and circulate within 3 days; coordinate feedback from Canadian community; explore Toronto meetup feasibility; plan October travel.

Jeff → Organize “Friends of OpenSSL” dinner; confirm branding guidelines; assist with PKI Consortium conference plans; contribute to proposal drafting.

Paul → Support deprecated feature proposal drafting; explore committers’ meeting model; validate OpenSSL 3.6 SSLv3 timeline.

James → Continue tech/startup outreach; share outreach materials with Jeff; determine October conference attendance; support Randall with proposal content.

Tim → Finalize conference logistics and session planning; support proposal coordination.

Jaroslav → Contribute feedback from local communities; support planning of engagement events in Prague; assist with BAC session planning.

Katerina → Oversee registration and attendee coordination; maintain LinkedIn updates; manage swag distribution; support social media promotion.

All BAC Members → Finalize API removal proposal by next week; engage communities in deprecation feedback; rate session proposals; coordinate community engagement events; explore sponsorship opportunities.