webEdition CMS goes open source

Living-e AG, based in Germany, has gone open source with its webEdition content management system. From version 6, the software is available under GNU General Public License version 3 (GPLv3). Living-e will offer support and consultation and implementation services. The company is also going open source with two other products – statistics program pageLogger and project time management tool timeEdition.

According to the company, the reason for the decision is a desire to improve the software's adaptability and thus drive development. The webEdition community will be able to add new functions through independent patches and modules. The application makes use of established open source software such as the Apache web server, scripting language PHP and open source database MySQL. New features in webEdition 6 include a version control system, for tracing all software changes, and a software development kit to make it easier for programmers to get programming. The latter is released under the LGPL.

The CMS originated in a development by ASTARTE New Media AG, known for its Toast CD burner application for the Mac. It sold the software to a group of investors at the start of 2003, who transferred the content management system to the newly founded webEdition Software GmbH, which became Living-e in 2006. Since taking over AI specialists Xtramind Technologies GmbH in autumn 2007, Living-e has increasingly positioned itself as a supplier of corporate intelligence solutions – adaptive software for communication and information management based on language technology and semantic intelligence.

(djwm)