GeoServer 3 Crowdfunding – Last Call!

Blog ‐ Posted on 08.04.2025 by simone giannecchini

The GeoServer 3 crowdfunding campaign  is now entering its final phase. After months of effort and strong engagement from the geospatial community, we are approaching our collective goal. The campaign has reached over 90% of its target, with only €40,000 remaining. Several organizations are currently engaged in discussions, and we remain confident that we will successfully complete the campaign.

📅 We will officially close the campaign on Monday, April 21, 2025.
This is the final window of opportunity for organizations that wish to contribute and ensure GeoServer’s continued innovation and reliability.

Why this upgrade is critical

GeoServer 3 is more than just a version number—it is a significant technical shift that will modernize the platform’s foundations and secure its future. This includes:

  • Migration to Spring 6 and JDK 17: Required to maintain compatibility with modern Java ecosystems, ensure long-term support, and adopt secure, future-proof components.
  • End of support for Spring 5: From January 2025, no more security updates will be provided, making the upgrade essential for compliance and operational security.
  • OAuth2 support and improved security architecture: Crucial for enterprise-grade authentication and integration with modern infrastructure.
  • Switch from JAI to ImageN: A much-needed replacement for image processing, improving speed, maintainability, and compatibility.
  • Alignment with current deployment environments: Including Tomcat 10 and Jakarta EE, ensuring compatibility with containerized and cloud-native environments.

You can learn more about the technical transition already underway in this behind-the-scenes update.

What happens if we exceed the goal?

If the total contributions exceed the financial target, the additional workforce funded through this campaign will be redirected to tasks identified and prioritized by the GeoServer Project Steering Committee (PSC). This ensures the extra support directly benefits the project’s long-term roadmap and the broader user community.

Acknowledgements and next steps

We extend our sincere thanks to all who have supported this campaign so far—through funding, code contributions, testing, and outreach. The effort has already mobilized an international team of core contributors who are ready to move forward.

We now invite all remaining stakeholders to join before the deadline. If your organization uses GeoServer and values its open, sustainable evolution, this is your moment to act.

🔗 To pledge or contact the coordination team, please visit:
https://geoserver.org/sponsor/gs3-crowdfunding

Let’s complete this journey—together.