E-commerce and Software Entitlement Management: A Digital Success Story

Most every brick-and-mortar retailer today is also engaged in e-commerce to offer their customers an alternative to traditional shopping and as a mechanism to generate incremental sales. And as more and more retailers focus on online selling, the e-commerce industry is facing stiff competition. Most e-tailers would say that focusing on a positive user shopping experience is key to winning the competitive e-commerce battles. That means customers must be able to easily navigate the website, make the shopping cart easy to view and access, and make the checkout process and delivery options straightforward. These are all important factors when selling a physical, tangible product online.

However, selling software online can be a bit trickier as there are legal factors to be considered and additional licensing requirements. For example, as software vendors move from conventional perpetual licenses to pay-per-feature and subscription models, how are the entitlements managed and licenses enforced in an e-commerce scenario? How are subsequent aftermarket feature activations or subscription renewals tracked and managed?

Cleverbridge, a global leader in B2C and B2B e-commerce solutions, has addressed this dilemma by providing a universal license generation interface that Wibu-Systems has leveraged to develop the Cleverbridge Connector. This small but critical piece of software integrates Cleverbridge platform with Wibu-Systems' patented software protection technology and licensing management solution, CodeMeter License Central. Cleverbridge helps their customers overcome the overwhelming complexity of navigating international markets by integrating an all-in-one e-commerce solution that speaks the client’s language, currency, payment methods and complies with all local regulations.​ While Cleverbridge handles the sales and payment side, CodeMeter handles the licensing enforcement and entitlement management. The Cleverbridge Connector, maps the data fields between the Cleverbridge e-commerce platform and CodeMeter License Central and builds a bridge between the two systems. The integrated solution supports multiple use cases, including the most common types: Entitlements with perpetual licenses, creating feature-based licenses, and managing subscriptions. When a product is purchased or a subscription is renewed, the system checks that the license entitlement has been issued or updated accordingly. Both systems come with additional interfaces to link up with other systems, such as ERP and CRM. Everything is built to fit neatly into even the most heterogeneous landscapes.

If you are interested in learning more about the workflow of the joint e-commerce and licensing solution, you can watch the replay of a joint webinar, Safer to Market: Licensing and e-commerce Integrated that was offered by experts from Cleverbridge and Wibu-Systems.