Kiteworks, a provider of secure private data exchange solutions that help organizations manage risk across every send, share, receive, and use of sensitive information, has announced the creation of the Kiteworks Open Source Program Office (OSPO). The company also named David Walter as Vice President of the Open Source Program Office. The newly established OSPO will oversee Kiteworks’ open-source strategy and serve as the organizational steward for ownCloud, the longstanding open-source platform for self-hosted file synchronization, sharing, and collaboration.
Since its launch in 2010, ownCloud has enabled a broad range of users—including individuals, educational institutions, research organizations, and sovereign governments—to retain control over their data, infrastructure, and digital autonomy. Built using open technologies such as Open Cloud Mesh, WebDAV, and OpenID Connect, and architected for federated collaboration across organizational boundaries, ownCloud continues to prioritize user ownership and interoperability.
The announcement comes amid growing enterprise demand for digital sovereignty and open-source cybersecurity solutions. Recent research indicates that 92% of IT managers across EMEA now view enterprise open-source software as essential for achieving digital sovereignty goals. Germany’s 2026 federal budget includes €250 million earmarked for open-source development initiatives. At the same time, third-party involvement in data breaches has risen significantly, accounting for 30% of incidents year over year. The enterprise file synchronization and sharing market is estimated at USD 14.0 billion in 2025, while the open-source file server segment is projected to grow at an 11.9% CAGR, reaching USD 6.24 billion by 2030.
“Open source is in ownCloud’s DNA, and through ownCloud it has become part of Kiteworks’ DNA,” said David Walter, Vice President of the Kiteworks Open Source Program Office. “We are not here to simply maintain a codebase. We are here to nurture an ecosystem, one where transparency is non-negotiable, where contributions are valued, and where the technology we build together serves the greater good. The OSPO exists to make that promise operational: through published governance, harmonized licensing under the permissive Apache 2.0 across all projects, retirement of the CLA in favor of the Developer Certificate of Origin, and a community with real channels to shape the platform’s future. ownCloud has always belonged to its community. Our job is to ensure it always will.”
The OSPO centralizes Kiteworks’ open-source initiatives under a unified operational framework aligned with the ownCloud brand. Under Walter’s direction, the office has already started publishing core governance materials, including an initial Governance Charter outlining responsibilities for Contributors, Reviewers, and Maintainers, as well as an AI-Assisted Contribution Policy. A new Contribution Guide has also been introduced, replacing the previous Contributor License Agreement (CLA) model with the Developer Certificate of Origin (DCO), enabling contributors to maintain ownership of their code contributions. Apache License 2.0 will serve as the default license for all newly developed components. The company also plans to establish a Community Advisory Board in Q4 2026.
According to Kiteworks, the governance framework reflects lessons learned from the evolution of open-source communities and aims to support the long-term sustainability of the ownCloud ecosystem. The company emphasized the importance of transparent governance, shared ownership, and collaborative stewardship in maintaining trust and fostering innovation within open-source projects.
“We learned that earning trust requires more than good code; it requires clear communication, fair licensing, and governance that gives the community a genuine voice,” Walter added. “Our aim is to embody the power of open source to make something that is yours, that actually belongs to you, and where you get to decide what matters.”
Kiteworks stated that its stewardship of ownCloud goes beyond sponsorship, representing an active investment in open-source development and community engagement. Through the OSPO, the company is allocating engineering, product management, and community resources to open-source initiatives, beginning with the ownCloud Desktop Client, which is now fully open source and available to all customers. Kiteworks said this stewardship approach is intended to ensure ownCloud remains both a commercially viable enterprise platform and an enduring open digital collaboration ecosystem. By combining Kiteworks’ expertise in secure data exchange with ownCloud’s open collaboration foundation, the company aims to advance enterprise-grade secure collaboration while reinforcing open-source principles.
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About Kiteworks
Kiteworks’ mission is to empower organizations to effectively manage risk in every send, share, receive, and use of private data. The Kiteworks platform provides customers with a secure data exchange that delivers data governance, compliance, and protection in a unified control plane. Kiteworks unifies, tracks, controls, and secures sensitive data moving within, into, and out of their organization, significantly improving risk management and ensuring regulatory compliance on all private data exchanges. Headquartered in Silicon Valley, Kiteworks protects over 100 million end-users and thousands of global enterprises and government agencies.
About ownCloud
ownCloud is the original open-source platform for self-hosted file synchronization, sharing, and collaboration. Since 2010, ownCloud has given users—from families exchanging memories to schools, research institutions, and sovereign governments—full possession of their data, infrastructure, and digital destiny. Built on open standards such as Open Cloud Mesh, WebDAV, and OpenID Connect, and designed for federation across organizational boundaries, ownCloud remains what it has always been: yours. ownCloud is a Kiteworks company.
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