The Apache Software Foundation

The history of the Apache Software Foundation is linked to the Apache HTTP Server. Beginning in February 1993, a group of eight developers—later known as the Apache Group—started working on enhancing the NCSA HTTPd daemon, and on March 25, 1999, they formed the Apache Software Foundation. Co-founder Brian Behlendorf described why the name 'Apache' was chosen: "I suggested the name Apache partly because the web technologies at the time that were launching were being called cyber this or spider that or something on those themes and I was like we need something a little more interesting, a little more romantic, not to be a cultural appropriator or anything like that, I had just seen a documentary about Geronimo and the last days of a Native American tribe called the Apaches right, who succumbed to the invasion from the West, from the United States, and they were the last tribe to give up their territory and for me that almost romantically represented what I felt we were doing with this web-server project. . . " ==Projects==

Apache divides its software development activities into separate semi-autonomous areas called "top-level projects" (formally known as a "Project Management Committee" in the bylaws), some of which have a number of sub-projects. Unlike some other organizations that host FOSS projects, before a project is hosted at Apache it has to be licensed to the ASF with a grant or contributor agreement. In this way, the ASF gains the necessary intellectual property rights for the development and distribution of all its projects. ==Board of directors==

The board of directors of The Apache Software Foundation (ASF) is responsible for management and oversight of the business and affairs of the corporation in accordance with the Bylaws. This includes management of the corporate assets (funds, intellectual property, trademarks, and support equipment), appointment of a President and corporate officers managing the core operations of the ASF, and allocation of corporate resources for the benefit of Apache projects. Technical decision-making authority for every Apache project is assigned to their independent project management committee; the participants in each project provide direction, not the board. The board is elected annually by the ASF membership. Since March 6, 2025, the board of directors has been: • Rich Bowen • Zili Chen • Shane Curcuru • Jim Jagielski • Justin Mclean • Jean-Baptiste Onofré • Greg Stein • Sander Striker • Kanchana Welagedara ==See also==