We've just released Symlabs LDAP Browser v1.5 - a faster, friendlier, and even more compatible LDAP browser for identity management professionals who want a rock- solid application to assist in managing LDAP-based infrastructures at the most attractive price possible ... FREE.

In this new and improved version of our free LDAP browser we've done a complete overhaul of the connection manager, making it simpler to set up and store the parameters used to connect to different backend repositories. The new connection manager allows you to quickly change basic parameters for existing connections, and then connect with or without saving those changes. It sports a new tabbed interface that groups settings which belong together, making it easier to find the parameters that you want to change.

In the spirit of updating the GUI and providing a friendlier interface, we've developed an improved Entry editor, so that it is easier to view and edit the entries stored within your directories. Virtual Schema Management windows have also been developed to make it easier to work in environments that make use of virtual directories or LDAP proxy solutions.

Many performance enhancements have been done to the underlying code which have made our LDAP browser quicker and generally more responsive. And, of course, we have sorted out some bugs that were present in our virgin release, resulting in a product that functions reliably and predictably well, regardless of the backend directory that it is connecting to or the platform that it is running on.

From the initial release, we were never really satisfied with our ability to handle referrals elegantly and, since this is a common feature for Active Directory users, we have put a lot of effort into providing a variety options that help you work with referrals or ignore useless error messages. This makes the browser "quieter", and much easier to use.

Just to put it all in one place here's a quick summary to list the new additions in v1.5:

• Higher speed and better performance
• Easier connection management and a new tabbed interface
• Refined search and bookmarks features
• Simplified display of entries and nodes
• Greater compatibility with mainstream LDAP directories
• More control, flexibility, and functionality for referral handling
• Improved layouts for user interfaces and screens

We're really excited about the improvements that we've made to this product and believe that systems administrators and developers will genuinely appreciate the work that we've done. And, we're very pleased that we're able to keep the product free to use. We know that part is appreciated by the IT community, since it has been requested so often after its initial release just a couple of short months ago.

If you already use the previous version of the product, we encourage you to download and install the latest release to take advantage of the many improvements. And, if you haven't tried it yet, download Symlabs Free LDAP Browser here and it give it a whirl now.