Reliable Licensing in a Changing World: CodeMeter and SmartBind

Wibu-Systems’ patented SmartBind technology allows CodeMeter to automatically recognize and bind licenses to the target system. The technology reads out the system environment and creates a digital fingerprint with a range of traits and properties given different weighting in the formula. These properties can be the ID of the CPU or the motherboards, the serial numbers of memory chips, the MAC addresses of network adapters, or other values. The resulting fingerprint also leaves some leeway for swapping out or servicing individual components. Software developers can choose between “loose”, “medium”, and “tight” binding to match the strength of the binding to the expected number of hardware changes on the target devices.

Made to match the environment

Wibu-Systems is constantly improving support for supported system environments. In addition to the popular operating systems like Windows, macOS, or Linux, CmActLicenses can be used in virtual environments like Azure, AWS, and Google Cloud. IoT devices are also still gaining traction and need protection and licensing for the sophisticated software that usually runs on them.

Up and coming: i.MX processors

Wibu-Systems is always improving its SmartBind mechanism to cover the entire range of use cases from cloud services to personal computers or IoT devices. One recent example of added enhancements is the adjustment made for i.MX processors. After hearing back from clients who use i.MX in a range of scenarios, Wibu-Systems integrated the systems in its test environments, identified necessary changes to the binding scheme, and introduced the new capabilities within only a handful of days.

CodeMeter 7.60c introduced automatic extended binding for boards with i.MX processors, which uses the components’ processor ID as one of the identifying properties.

The ongoing evolution of CodeMeter SmartBind mechanism continues at a rapid pace: The new version CodeMeter 8.00 will include unique identification for boards with i.MX processors or related models.

Wibu-Systems is always working on evaluating several secure elements that are used on some boards equipped with i.MX processors, which could be a means for a particularly strong binding for digital licenses.

Flexible and secure

Combining CmActLicenses and SmartBind is the robust choice for a range of environments. The continuous improvement and evolution of the technology by Wibu-Systems ensure that the licensing capabilities will always keep pace with the requirements of today’s tech landscape. The recent changes for i.MX processors and coming developments like the integration of unique markers keep CodeMeter the gold standard for secure and flexible software licensing.