New release helps software vendors & intelligent device manufacturers package, license and monetise software more quickly and flexibly

Maidenhead, UK - April 3, 2012 - Flexera Software, the leading provider of Application Usage Management solutions for application producers and enterprises, announced today a new release of FlexNet Embedded, part of the FlexNet Producer Suite licensing solution, which enables intelligent device manufacturers and software vendors to monetise software on traditional devices, intelligent devices, equipment and virtual appliances. The new release now supports the Java platform and the .NET Framework, allowing application producers to work natively in those development environments, take advantage of a more simplified API model and consistent behavior across multiple platforms running Java or .NET, and incorporate market leading software licensing capabilities.

"Both the Java and Microsoft platforms are de facto standards in the IT industry with over 90% market penetration among mainstream ‘Global 2000' enterprises," said Mark Driver, research vice president at Gartner. "Accordingly, application providers require tools to support these standards for all aspects of the development process, including software licensing."

As traditional software and devices become commoditised, vendors and manufacturers have to cope with increased competition and shrinking margins. The challenge becomes finding ways to more effectively and flexibly monetise software. Intelligent device manufacturers must additionally figure out how to leverage embedded software to enable the easy configuration of capability and/or capacity on devices and virtual appliances so that it appeals to new markets - and to do so without increasing manufacturing costs. FlexNet Embedded is the only product enabling flexible software-based configuration of capability and capacity across a broad range of software and intelligent devices, including devices requiring a small footprint client. It enables rapid product innovation, and for intelligent devices, a reduction in the number of unique physical devices needed, through embedded software licensing and entitlement management.

Whether developers use C, C++, Java or .NET platforms, they require an effective, compact, reliable and proven licensing solution. With this new release, FlexNet Embedded now supports 32 & 64-bit Java for Windows, Oracle Solaris and Linux, as well as 32 & 64-bit .NET for Windows. "Software vendors and intelligent device manufacturers must be able to develop, package, monetise and license their products quickly and efficiently in order to remain competitive and responsive to rapidly evolving market conditions," said Mathieu Baissac, vice president of product management at Flexera Software. "Embedded licensing and entitlement management software is a critical enabler to growing revenues and market share. So, as developers move between C, Java and .NET development platforms, they want their licensing solution to support those native environments."

FlexNet Embedded is part of the FlexNet Producer Suite, which includes the following solutions:

    FlexNet Embedded: FlexNet® Embedded empowers intelligent device manufacturers and software vendors to unlock new revenue streams by utilizing software licensing, pricing, and packaging to monetize intelligent devices and equipment using embedded software, as well as offer virtual appliances.

    FlexNet Operations: The most comprehensive entitlement management solution empowers software vendors and intelligent device manufacturers to support new revenue models easily and efficiently while streamlining and automating complex back-office processes.

    FlexNet Delivery: Provides electronic software delivery and electronic software distribution to eliminate physical fulfillment costs and ensure that customers downloading software are entitled to do so.

    FlexNet Connect: Automates business processes, lowers operational cost and increases customer satisfaction through electronic delivery of software updates, patches, data and messages directly to end-users' systems without IT involvement.

    FlexNet Publisher: Makes it easy for software vendors and intelligent device manufacturers to monetize, manage, secure, enhance, and grow market share through flexible software licensing, pricing, packaging, and software IP protection.