CodeMeter - wibu-systems ag

K N O W - H O WWinning new customers withTrial SoftwareNevertheless, we understand your concerns thatyour customers might prefer to download a freeversion of your trial software without needingto buy a CodeMeter Stick first.We agree, your customer should be able to getyour trial software as fast and easy as possible.You should not rely only on potential customerswho already own a CodeMeter Stick.This could be your strategy to increase your trialsoftware options1) Your potential customers, who alreadyown a CodeMeter Stick, can obtain afull-featured license for a trial period of(for example) 30 days.2) Your customers could get remote accessof your software running on your server.Software and CodeMeter Stick reside atyour server.3) Your customers install your protectedsoftware on their PCs accessing a Code-Meter Stick, connected to a server overthe Internet.4) Your standard trial software can runwithout a CodeMeter Stick, but withlimited or missing features.Integration in your softwareHow much effort will it take to make thesetrial options available? Let’s assume that yoursoftware is already protected by CodeMeter oryou plan to use CodeMeter for licensing of yoursoftware. The first question to ask is “How doyou want to sell your software?” Let’s use acomputer card game as an example:1) The basic version of your software offersfree sets of demo game cards. If a Code-Meter Stick with Product Code 10,000 isavailable, protected sets of game cardscan be used, too.2) Additional sets of game card are offered.They are licensed using Product Code20,xxx.3) Another feature provides an editor, forcreating game card sets. It can be used,if Product Code 11,000 is available.4) Another feature provides the option toplay against your PC. It runs if ProductCode 12,000 is available.However, you can choose any value for yourmodules; the Product Code is stored in a 32Bit value in the CodeMeter Stick.Now you integrate the modular protection intothe software source code using the IxProtector.You define code areas which will be encryptedwith the given Product Code. At runtime, theseprogram functions can be decrypted and usedonly, if the corresponding Product Code is inthe CodeMeter Stick.Additional to this code protection, you integrateencryption and decryption of sets of game cardsin the “Save” and “Load” functions. Pleasedon’t mix that up with the encryption of programcode. You should now use encryption toprotect program code and to protect the dataof the sets of game cards as well.Loading protected sets of game cards is supportedby the basic version of the application. Thefunction to load game cards is not protected,the function to decrypt protected sets of gamecards is using Product Code 10,000. Savingsets of game cards makes sense only with theeditor. So, the complete editor program code isprotected with Product Code 11,000.Define CodeMeter trial versionsUp to now, we have defined a modular protectionof your software and did not spend anyspecial thoughts on a trial version. But this isvery easy now as it is already done. The functionsof the software now depend only on the licensein the CodeMeter Stick.Expiration Time: ok, no problemRestricted version: okTesting on Terminal Server: okUsing a remote CodeMeter Stick: okThe restricted version can use only free gamecard sets, which has been our goal. The customershould be able to use these restrictedfunctions when running the software withoutCodeMeter Stick.At this point, you can be satisfied with the easyintegration and you can ship your software. Ifyou want to get the highest level of securityfor your software, using the AxProtector as ashell for your executable is recommended. Itimplements full program encryption and effectiveanti-debugging mechanisms at yourcommand. In this case you abandon the optionto run a trial version of your software withouta CodeMeter Stick.This challenge can be solved, too. In this case, a“lite” version is built using conditional compilation.You can remove all functions which areprotected by IxProtector. This “Player”, the lightversion, is delivered instead of a limited trialversion with the following advantages:This lite version doesn’t require anyCodeMeter runtime software.One source code for all versions savingdevelopment time and cost.Highest level of protection for the fullversion using AxProtector.The free distribution of the lite versiongenerates new potential customers.Online License TransferThe last step is to transfer licenses to customerswith a CodeMeter Stick or provide software foronline use. You can do this yourself or WIBU-SYSTEMS can do it for you.Use CodeMeter, make it a standard like a computermouse today. You like to know more?Please contact us.When do I use which Integration?Full software with integrated demo version:Full software without demo version:Lite Version (special software version):Full software as online demo version:What is a...IxProtectorIxProtector/AxProtectorno protectionProduct Code: Defines a license stored in a CodeMeter StickAxProtector:IxProtector:IxProtector/AxProtectorTool to protect an executable without source code changeTool to protect individual functions within the source code