PROCENTEC Leverages the Power of CodeMeter to further Strengthen Industrial Network Security

Wibu-Systems, a major leader in the field of secure software licensing, has employed its CodeMeter flagship technology to help PROCENTEC, a Dutch supplier active in the industrial automation market and a member of the HMS Group, drive business innovation. Already a household name in its sectors thanks to its popular PROFIBUS, PROFINET, Industrial Ethernet and Ethernet/IP network stability products, PROCENTEC has become the primary manufacturer of network components with integrated remote monitoring and remote asset-management capabilities. With the invaluable IP invested in these products, PROCENTEC had outgrown its original proprietary protection and licensing systems and turned to Wibu-Systems consulting services to tailor CodeMeter technology to their specific requirements.

At the core of the vision of Industry 4.0 are smart factories which rely on massive and intricate communication networks whose data traffic monitors and controls production processes using dedicated communication protocols and highly sophisticated networking hardware and software. PROCENTEC’s monitoring hardware and intelligent software solutions for predictive industrial network diagnostics ensure that these networks operate with the necessary integrity stability, and reliability. In a context where any downtime means immediate financial losses, monitoring the health, reliability, and security of such a complex environment is a significant challenge for factory owners and operators.

Under the influence of a rapid pace and ever-evolving Industry 4.0 manufacturing environment, PROCENTEC needed to update their existing licensing and protection system. CodeMeter, Wibu-Systems software protection, licensing, and security technology, is used by global software publishers and intelligent device manufacturers to protect against cyber-threats and leverage creative licensing strategies to monetize their businesses. The custom solution for PROCENTEC was built around a core of soft-licenses – CmActLicenses – and the Datacenter Edition of CodeMeter License Central, a database-driven license and entitlement management solution for license creation, delivery, and management, housed in the safe and reliable environment of a shared server in Wibu-Systems data center.

The custom CodeMeter solution gives PROCENTEC superior IP protection throughout the entire supply chain, without compromising the usability of the tamper-resistant solution. Additionally, the versatile built-in licensing options of CodeMeter open the doors to business strategy innovation and the introduction of new sales models allowing PROCENTEC to excel in the fast-evolving, competitive industrial automation marketplace.

Matthew Dulcey, CTO of PROCENTEC, shared its enthusiastic view for the results achieved: “We don't like to see the knowledge and experience we put into software development being misused by other parties. Initially, we were looking for a stronger method that would protect our software from intrusion and unauthorized use. By performing some basic tests, we found out that CodeMeter from Wibu-Systems offers more than just the minimal protection of the source code, which we used to apply earlier on. In addition, we are thinking of introducing a license management system that would allow clients to only be invoiced for used packages from a bundle of purchased licenses – this is something Wibu-Systems can offer that our original license system could not.”

Marcel Hartgerink, General Manager of WIBU-SYSTEMS BV, added: “CodeMeter brings a new class of protection for PROCENTEC’s IP. The ease-of-use and natural flexibility of CmActLicenses make it an efficient and compact solution for PROCENTEC’s clients, as all the license management functionality can happen in the background. With CodeMeter’s built-in licensing options allowing a plethora of conventional and innovative models, PROCENTEC now also can introduce new choices for its clients. Trial, demo, and rental plans are now readily available.”