Another One Bites the (GNU GPL) Dust

Univention is not a company I'd heard of before; apparently,

Univention GmbH offers a range of Linux-based products and services. Our core competencies are integration of Linux and Windows (on the server and on the client side), directory services, Linux on the desktop, and thin-client technology.

And now it has decided to take its product open source, using the GNU GPL. Heise Online has a better explanation of what is going on:

Both the installation program and, more importantly, the LDAP-based UCS management system are affected; the latter makes it easy to install Linux systems even in far-reaching environments, providing management down to identity and infrastructure. It offers defined interfaces and has, among other things, connectors for an Active Directory, which enables smooth integration in Windows networks.

The Heise report also has this interesting nugget:

The firm stated that this step was only taken after all of its key customers had been consulted. The customers are still willing to pay for the professional maintenance of the code -- for reasons of product liability among other things -- and for support.