Electron joins the OpenJS Foundation

The popular web framework for building desktop apps plays an important role in the adoption and development of JavaScript.

MONTREAL- December 11, 2019 – The OpenJS Foundation today announced the open source web framework Electron has been accepted into the Foundation’s incubation program. Electron, an open source framework created for building desktop apps using JavaScript, HTML, and CSS, is based on Node.js and Chromium. Additionally, it is widely used on many well-known applications including Discord, Microsoft Teams, OpenFin, Skype, Slack, Trello, Visual Studio Code, and many more. 

The OpenJS Foundation, which provides vendor-neutral support for sustained growth within the open source JavaScript community, delivered the news at the Foundation’s flagship event, Node+JS Interactive, in Montreal. 

“We’re heading into 2020 excited and honored by the trust the Electron project leaders have shown through this significant contribution to the new OpenJS Foundation,” said Robin Ginn, Executive Director of the OpenJS Foundation. “Electron is a powerful development tool used by some of the most well-known companies and applications. On behalf of the community, I look forward to working with Electron and seeing the amazing contributions they will make.” 

Electron’s cross-platform capabilities make it possible to build and run apps on Windows, Mac, and Linux computers. Initially developed by GitHub in 2013, today the framework is maintained by a number of developers and organizations. Electron is suited for anyone who wants to ship visually consistent, cross-platform applications, fast and efficiently. 

“We’re excited about Electron’s move to the OpenJS Foundation and we see this as the next step in our evolution as an open source project,” said Jacob Groundwater, Manager at ElectronJS and Principal Engineering Manager at Microsoft. “With the Foundation, we’ll continue on our mission to play a prominent role in the adoption of web technologies by desktop applications and provide a path for JavaScript to be a sustainable platform for desktop applications. This will enable the adoption and development of JavaScript in an environment that has traditionally been served by proprietary or platform-specific technologies.”

“We’re committed to open source and developer collaboration, and thrilled for Electron to be a part of the Foundation’s incubation program,” said Sarah Novotny, Partner PM Manager, Azure, Microsoft. “We look forward to further enhancing the open source project for contributors, maintainers, and developers building on the framework; while exposing the project to a broader audience.”

“Electron is a great example of how interconnected the JavaScript ecosystem can be. Built on Chromium and Node.js, Electron is an amazing tool that empowers developers to create great cross-platform desktop experiences,” said Myles Borins, OpenJS Foundation Board member and Developer Advocate at Google. “It’s extremely exciting to see this project join the Foundation and stepping towards a more open governance model.”

“The Cross Project Council is thrilled to bring Electron into the OpenJS Foundation community,” said Joe Sepi, Cross Project Council Chair, and Open Source Engineer & Advocate at IBM. “Collectively, we are building something sustainable for the long-term benefit of community members and end-users. We are excited to work with Electron, and to have them be part of our mission.”

“On behalf of the OpenJS Foundation Board of Directors, it’s my pleasure to welcome Electron as the newest incubating project to the Foundation,” said Todd Moore, OpenJS Foundation Board Chair and Vice President of Open Technology and Developer Advocacy at IBM. “Bringing Electron into the Foundation is a great way to cap 2019, and continue to build our momentum into next year.”

Representatives from Electron will be featured in both a keynote and breakout session at Node+JS Interactive. 

• On December 12, at 5:10 pm ET, John Kleinschmidt will represent Electron in a keynote fireside chat to discuss the project and joining the Foundation.
• On December 12, at 11:20 am ET, Felix Rieseberg will present a breakout session titled “Electron: Desktop Apps with JavaScript,” and give a technical introduction to Electron. Building a small code editor live on stage, he’ll cover the basics and explain both benefits and challenges of using Node.js and JavaScript to build major desktop applications. (ADD LINK)

About OpenJS Foundation 

The OpenJS Foundation is committed to supporting the healthy growth of the JavaScript ecosystem and web technologies by providing a neutral organization to host and sustain projects, as well as collaboratively fund activities for the benefit of the community at large. The OpenJS Foundation is made up of 32 open source JavaScript projects including Appium, Dojo, jQuery, Node.js, and webpack and is supported by 30 corporate and end-user members, including GoDaddy, Google, IBM, Intel, Joyent, and Microsoft. These members recognize the interconnected nature of the JavaScript ecosystem and the importance of providing a central home for projects which represent significant shared value.