Last week marked a significant personal and professional transition as I stepped away from IBM after nearly 13 years of combined service with Red Hat and IBM. And yet, just days later, something I hold equally dear has come to fruition: the release of Apache KIE (Incubating) 10.0.0.
This release is the first of the KIE project under the Apache Software Foundation—a milestone that represents far more than just a version number. It’s the culmination of 15 months of meticulous work, collaboration, and dedication by a truly incredible community. More than just a coincidence, this timing reflects my continued commitment to the open-source and its community.
A Collective Journey
Getting Apache KIE 10.0.0 across the finish line has been quite a journey. For over a year, contributors from across the community put in the hard work - bringing our codebase up to Apache standards piece by piece, starting with the basics - getting license headers in order - and working our way up to the complex stuff like making our builds reproducible and reviewing all codebase licensing. None of it would have happened without engineers putting their heads together. Sure, new features are great, but what stands out is how our open-source community pulled together to make this happen.
Special thanks go to Jozef Marko and Toshiya Kobayashi, whose meticulous work on licensing ensured we met Apache’s requirements, and to Tiago Bento and Rodrigo Antunes, whose support made running the release pipelines a manageable task—even as I navigated many of the details myself. Their teamwork and expertise exemplify what makes this community so extraordinary.
Personal Reflections
I’ve been deeply involved in this release from day one. Throughout the year, I’ve collaborated with developers across the globe, working through countless reviews and adjustments. Around RC2, I picked the bastion to run the release pipelines, making necessary fine tunes to cope with Apache requirements.
Stepping back from my day job hasn’t changed my dedication to this community; it’s only deepened it in many ways. Seeing this release through to completion is a reminder of why I got involved in open source in the first place: the chance to build something meaningful with others who share a vision for better technology.
Looking Ahead
Now that Apache KIE 10.0.0 is out, we’re just getting started. The groundwork done will hopefully allow us to get back to a more frequent release schedule. Plus, our community is stronger than ever.
Thanks to everyone who pitched in; you all showed what we’re capable of when we work as a team.
For those just discovering Apache KIE, now is the perfect time to get involved. The future is bright, and there’s so much more to build.
Here’s to the next chapter. Let’s continue to push boundaries, solve challenges, and make Apache KIE (incubating) the best it can be.
Apache KIE (Incubating) 10.0.0 is available now. Explore the release and download the artifacts here. I’d love to hear your thoughts and ideas as we move forward—let’s keep the conversation going!