Versant Corporation (Nasdaq: VSNT), an industry leader in specialized data management software, announces that the open source license used for the db4o product offering is being upgraded to the GPLv3 license. Upgrade to the GPLv3 license assures compatibility with other open source products, thereby widening db4o’s potential scope for adoption.

"This is an important step for Versant in its ongoing efforts to provide the open source software community with a viable object database technology supported by an established public company", said Robert Greene, V.P. Open-Source Operations at Versant. "Support will continue for the older license version GPLv2, but in an effort to stay compatible with the increasing number of new adopters of GPLv3, we are expanding our support to include the latest license."

About GPL
The GNU General Public License (GPL) is a widely used free software license, originally written by Richard Stallman for the GNU project.

The GPL is a popular and well-known example of the type of copyleft license that requires derived works to be available under the same copyleft. Under this philosophy, the GPL grants the recipients of a computer program the rights of the free software definition and uses copyleft to ensure the freedoms are preserved, even when the work is changed or added to.  The original license introduced in 1989 came under much scrutiny, as do most first works in the public domain, and has since developed with a number of revisions.  The latest revision led by Stallman was approved by the Free Software Foundation in July 2007.

“It’s great to see Versant’s continuing commitment to open source compatibility in the db4o product brand”, said Fabrizio Capobianco, CEO of Funambol. “Open source projects are increasingly adopting GPLv3 and the related AGPLv3 license. This move by Versant helps ensure that db4o will continue the impressive growth of its user community”.

About Funambol
Funambol is the leading provider of mobile open source cloud sync and push email for billions of phones. Funambol open source software has been downloaded over three million times by 50,000 developers in 200 countries. The commercial version of Funambol has been deployed by the largest device manufacturers, mobile operators, portals, service providers and ISVs in the world, including AOL, 1&1, EarthLink and CA, Inc. Funambol is headquartered in Redwood City, California with an R&D center in Italy. You can follow Funambol on Twitter at http://twitter.com/funambol. 

About Versant 
Versant Corporation (Nasdaq:VSNT) is an industry leader in database management software, helping software developers to create unique applications handling complex information and high performance / high availability requirements. Versant customers cut hardware costs, speed and simplify development, and significantly reduce administration costs. Versant's solutions are deployed in a wide array of industries, including telecommunications, financial services, transportation, manufacturing, and defense. With over 50,000 installations, Versant has been a highly reliable partner for Global 2000 companies such as Ericsson, Verizon, Siemens, US Government, and Financial Times. For more information, call 650-232-2400 or visit www.versant.com.