CodeMeter Becomes the Software Licensing Backbone of B&R's Industrial Automation Platform

The Challenge

Constant innovation and strong client partnerships have characterized B&R Industrial Automation in the machine automation market for over 40 years. As a result, the product portfolio at B&R is extensive. B&R launches cutting-edge technologies while continuing to offer legacy technologies to the existing userbase. These products are either hardware or software and they can be sold with a one-time payment or annual subscription model. The clients of B&R are also technology evangelists who develop their proprietary technology on B&R's platform and want to license it to their users. Therefore, B&R partnered with Wibu-Systems for a highly reliable and sustainable solution that could be applied to the entire product range.

The Solution

B&R and their clients can use the Technology Guarding system to empower scalable business models, protect intellectual property, and restrict the incorrect use of the technology. The machine users do not have to pay for functions that they do not need. At the same time, B&R customer engineers can generate post-market sales by providing additional features that are enabled when a specific license is detected. This approach simplifies the engineers’ job and eliminates the need to manage the machine's configuration for each end-user. The licenses required by each client are managed on a license server hosted by B&R. Technology Guarding is part of B&R Automation Studio software, integrated with CodeMeter, and implemented on a custom B&R version of the CmStick/B or CmStick/C Basic.

The Success

The USB dongle is included along with B&R hardware when machines are first installed. Users can purchase and add the necessary licenses to the USB dongle if new functionality is needed. Replacing the control hardware in the field is also easy because the CmStick can simply be connected to the new component and it will automatically resume its safeguarding function again. The license server is connected to the SAP system at B&R, so B&R users can get a live status of their licenses on the Technology Guarding portal or directly inside B&R Automation Studio.

Manfred Mitterbuchner, Group Leader Real-Time Operating Systems, B&R Industrial Automation

“With Technology Guarding empowered by CodeMeter, internal and external users of our automation platform rest assured that their technology and machine know-how are well protected, enabling them to focus on innovating their core technology with scalable and sustainable business models.”

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