SafeNet Sentinel HASP Helps RiserTec Protect Intellectual Property
August 12, 2013
By Erin Harrison, Executive Editor, Cloud Computing
After collecting data for many years, engineering consultancy RiserTec, which provides technically advanced engineering analysis and design solutions, had a problem. A core component of the business are the specialized worksheets the company has developed over many years to undertake a wide range of engineering calculations associated with pipeline and riser systems.
Over a span of several years, the U.K.-based firm, which specializes in the analysis and design of off-shore oil and gas production facilities, developed an extensive library of proprietary mathematical worksheets in-house for use in their consulting business, which led to the birth of its software unit. But the company faced a serious challenge: the possibility that the engineering calculations on these worksheets might be illegally copied and used fraudulently, according to a recent case study.
RiserTec, which initially considered building its own in-house system to protect its intellectual property, turned to SafeNet for help. From trying to implement its own solution, RiserTech realized the specialized level of technical expertise required to implement a solution that combined software license enforcement and protection. That is why it decided to outsource the job to SafeNet (News - Alert). RiserTec already had experience using other SafeNet solutions, making the choice of its Sentinel HASP product an easy one.
There was an immediate sense of familiarity and comfort, according to Dr. John Shanks, senior consultant at RiserTec. “When I look at the HASP system, I see a lot of engineering software that is being protected by that system. Oil and gas is a conservative industry and we prefer to buy from firms with field experience and proven results,” Shanks explained.
Since deploying HASP HL, RiserTec’s intellectual property in the form of complex engineering calculations dating back 30 years is protected against internal influences and external competitors. The hardware keys for HASP were chosen for their ease of use and portability. Internally, the key sits on the server and is invisible to employees, but visibility kicks in if they try to run the protected worksheet on another server.
In addition, Sentinel HASP has put RiserTec in a strong position for the future, he added.
“Moving forward, we can easily implement other HASP features such as the report generator and trialware,” Shanks said. “These additional features could provide additional customer insight and tracking while introducing software-based protection and license deployment.”
Edited by Peter Bernstein
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