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Aladdin Knowledge Systems announced Jan. 22 that it has launched its latest software protection and licensing product, the HASP software rights management tool.
HASP (Hardware Against Software Piracy) SRM will allow software publishers to use a variety of licensing and protection functionalities, including cross-locking technology and security enhancements.
“HASP SRM enables software publishers to mix and match DRM [digital rights management] capabilities in order to create attractive software packages in terms of pricing, licensing and delivery,” Avi Barir, vice president of software DRM for Aladdin, told eWEEK.
Cross-locking technology enables users to select a security key once protection has been put into place. The user will then be able to put in licensing models and select the appropriate protection key.
Two security keys from which users can choose are a hardware key, HASP HL (hardware-based licensing) protection, and a software electronic key, HASP SL (software-based licensing).
With the HL key, the HASP SRM develops a secure communication channel between the HL key and the application, helping to thwart middle-layer attacks while also having an increased amount of memory, allowing users to protect scores of applications.
The HL protection key also features HASP LicenseOnChip and UpdateOnChip, which enable users to protect licenses and their terms.
“The protection keys enable business users to offer diversity in license enforcement that corresponds with convenience, practicality and policies of their end users,” Barir said.
The new protection and licensing platform from Aladdin will also includes HASP SRM Envelope, which supports both HL and SL keys with a single tool, as well as HASP SRM Business Studio, which enables users to determine software packages, set licensing models and security protection keys, and track customer orders, license terms and extensions.
“With its role-based tools and separate protection and licensing processes, HASP SRM manages and optimizes the entire DRM life cycle and software products, increasing profitability and reducing total cost of ownership,” Barir said.
HASP SRM will be fully released late in the first quarter of 2007, and pricing will depend on which protection key the user selects.
If the user chooses the hardware-based HASP HL key, the entry point starts at a couple dozen dollars, with software, service and maintenance free of charge. If the user chooses to protect with a software-based protection key, the user must purchase an activation server, whose price point can start as low as several thousands of dollars.
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