Radioss

Siemens is ending Radioss as an open-source project, closing the door on the crash-simulation code that had been developed in the open. The move follows Siemens' earlier acquisition of the software, and observers of the engineering-software world are criticizing the decision to pull back a tool with an active community around it.

Siemens is ending the OpenRadioss open-source project, the crash-simulation code it had released to the community. The public source code repository is no longer accessible, and the company is replacing the open model with a closed research and development program. Observers are questioning what this means for the reliability of corporate-backed open source, with some seeing it as a warning that open-source commitments from large vendors can come with an expiration date.

Siemens has discontinued the OpenRadioss open-source project, pulling the crash-simulation solver's public source code and replacing it with an internal research and development programme. The move by the engineering giant has drawn criticism from developers who see it as a warning sign for corporate open-source commitments, with observers questioning whether openly licensed industrial software can be relied upon long term when companies can withdraw access at will.