Paf’s tech goes open source

Paf is one of few companies that has taken the step into open source technology. This is another big step for Paf’s tech development and an important milestone.

All software consists of programs that are written by software developers who write source codes. Open sourcing means making the source code available publicly so anyone can contribute and benefit from it.

“When you open source your projects you are putting your name on the tech radar. Developers in the world will know who you are and what you do, and the level of excellence that you produce. At the same time, you are welcoming these developers to also contribute into your projects, generating a synergy where everyone is benefited,” says Paf’s Chief Technology Officer Francois Maugis.

Paf’s open source project has already been launched, and you can find it on github.

Linux, Facebook and Google

Open source is around us every day. Every time you visit a website, drive your car or use your smartphone you are using open source.

“Thanks to its open nature, the world has reached a great level of technical maturity within just a few decades that would have been otherwise impossible,” says Francois Maugis.

There are two ways to contribute to the Open Source community; by open sourcing your own projects or by contributing to existing projects.

“Some Paf employees have already contributed to Open Source projects like the Linux operating system. Soon, most of the Android devices and web servers in the world will include these contributions,” says Senior Software Engineer Jukka Palomäki.

Knowing this, it doesn’t come as a surprise that all the big players in the tech industry contribute to Open Source: Google, Microsoft, Facebook and Amazon are among the top 10.

Can open source become a security risk

Opening up your company secrets and especially your software codes seem like a dangerous thing to do. But Paf’s Security Architect Lars-Göran Hakamo explains why this is not the case.

“The thought of `security by obscurity` is not a valid mitigation in a modern, agile company since any vulnerabilities should be considered as known to an outside attacker. The transparency of open source allows a larger community to review and contribute to the solution, which actually further strengthens and develops the solution,” he says.

Paf’s open source project follows the standard procedure that is a part of the ISO27001 certification when it comes to risk management and secure development lifecycle

Benefiting the community

The open source community is alive thanks to all the individuals and companies that decide to give back to the community based on their own learnings and expertise.

“This follows the Paf principle of giving back to the society which we now want to extend also to the software we create. Producing good and safe software can make life easier for other companies while also making sure that the community of open source can prosper and develop further,” says Senior Software Engineer Alberto Alonso.

Paf is investing great efforts into always staying up to date in innovation and technology. This results in a great growth of productivity and the possibility to attract the best talent. This is especially important for software developers.

“Software tech is a constantly changing field where technologies can become obsolete in a couple of years. Working in Paf guarantees employees that they will always stay up to date with the latest technologies, progress their careers and face rewarding challenges,” says Francois Maugis.

Paf has a public Technology Radar, the radar covers not only Paf’s entire technology portfolio (languages, tools, infra and techniques) but the technologies we assess, try out, adopt or put on hold. Check out the Paf Tech Radar.