Open source enterprise content management (ECM) provider Alfresco Software is now offering Alfresco JLAN (once known as the Alfresco Intelligent File System) under the GNU Public License (GPL),

This news follows Alfresco’s adoption of GPL licensing for the rest of its open source enterprise content management software earlier this year.

Alfresco describes Alfresco JLAN as a unique implementation of an embedded virtual file system that offers the only Java client and server implementation of Microsoft Window’s CIFS (Common Internet File System) protocol, allowing content, system administration information, and rows in a database to appear as a shared drive.

“The shared drive is the de-facto document management interface for the vast majority of computer users today,” says Alfresco.

Features and functionality included in Alfresco JLAN are:

• Only Pure Java client and server implementation — CIFS, NFS and FTP
• High Performance — Similar to the native file system
• Enterprise Authentication — NTLM, NTLMSSP, SPNEGO, Kerberos/AD
• Real-Time Access — No copy-to-local disk or conflict resolution issues
• Offline Access — Integration to Microsoft(R) briefcase

Among the customers of Alfresco JLAN customers are Sybase’s Avaki EII, Caringo, EMC Documentum and Symantec’s Veritas.

“Alfresco JLAN has allowed us to expand our OEM momentum with a simple interface and low cost open source solution, which can be embedded easily into various systems,” said John Newton, CTO, Alfresco Software.

“Today, more than 50 customers, including some of the largest software companies in the world, have already incorporated Alfresco JLAN into their products,” he added.

For those interested, Alfresco JLAN can be downloaded here.

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