The first step is always the most decisive

“You don’t get a second shot at a good first impression.” We have all heard this deceptively simple saying. It applies to your and our relationships with potential new customers, but it also applies to your first impression of working with our software protection and licensing technology CodeMeter. Workflows that used to be state of the art only a few years ago are no longer accepted without question today. Just think of the old habit of distributing trial versions of software on CD-ROMs or DVDs at expos. Nobody does so anymore, because very few people have the necessary drives left on their new computers. As a software developer or vendor, you will recognize many of the challenges we at Wibu-Systems face when it comes to providing test versions of our product to potential clients. That is why we have prepared a webinar to share our ideas and experiences with designing the new evaluation process with you. In this masterclass, you will discover the workflows we use with our clients, with a look behind the scenes to show you how and why we do it this way. You can do everything we have done in this process yourself with CodeMeter for your own processes.

In the past, Wibu-Systems delivered its test versions through the mail, i.e. a physical SDK toolkit including two dongles and a DVD. The disadvantage is obvious: Potential clients had to wait for the package to arrive before they could test our technology, and they had to have a DVD drive to use the included disc. In short: We needed a new approach. Our goal was to enable our clients’ testing team to start their tests immediately, while keeping the cryptographic keys needed for the process as secure as they were on the hardware-based CmDongle.

The solution: A CmCloudContainer is used in addition to the CmDongle. The necessary processes are supported in the new CodeMeter Developer Portal. In practice, that means:

• The potential client gets an account on the CodeMeter Developer Portal.
• At the same time, a new SDK toolkit is shipped, including two CmDongles.
• The designated tester downloads the CodeMeter SDK from our portal.
• The tester can then decide whether to start right away with the CmCloudContainer or wait for the CmDongles as an offline option.
• Videos and helpful information help steer the tester through the process.

The combination of CmCloudContainers and CmDongles means that all possible requirements are covered. The cryptographic keys are always kept safe; users with online access can start to test the software immediately, and users forced to go the offline route can still carry their licenses and keys around on the CmDongle. Should the situation change later on, everything can be switched around as needed.

The CodeMeter Developer Portal is modelled on the CodeMeter License Portal. If you want, you can copy our choice of offering a combination of dongles for offline scenarios and cloud containers for a faster response. You can also get access to the CodeMeter Evaluation Portal, a trial version of the License Portal that lets you review the processes from your specific vantage point and see in action how you would produce trial versions of your software or even enable your sales partners and resellers to do so.

Here is the agenda of our live session:

• The status quo
• CodeMeter Developer Portal
  • Download options
  • Activating the CodeMeter license
  • Encrypting software
  • CodeMeter Evaluation Portal
    • Creating licenses
  • Testing protected software
• Integrating distribution partners
• One solution for demo, trial, and full software versions
• The right approach for every target group
• Take-aways for your processes

Even if you are already an experienced user of CodeMeter, this chance to look behind the scenes at the CodeMeter evaluation process can offer you interesting insights for your own processes with your clients. You can also use the Developer Portal to manage your own developer licenses and download license extensions to a CmDongle if you want to go the offline route. And, of course, the webinar is a great opportunity to meet and speak to the experts of Wibu-Systems.