If you'll forgive me, you appear to be mistaking the maturity of DAP/LDAP technology with that of Net::LDAP - the perl interface library to it.

The maturity of the DAP/LDAP technology and its volume of usage was and is, not in question - I only questioned the maintenance levels of the library since when last I had occasion to use it in anger, there were a couple of shortfalls - related, as it happens, to the M$/LDAP crossover (M$, in not atypical fashion i.e. in a manner similar to Java etc., took LDAP and modified it to their own ends & needs such that AD only partially resembles LDAP).