Phoenix Contact, Wibu-Systems integrate flagship technologies

Apr. 11, 2018 – Phoenix Contact and Wibu-Systems plan to announce the integration of their flagship technologies at Hannover Messe 2018, taking place at the end of this month in Hannover, Germany.

CodeMeter, a solution for protection, licensing and security, has been selected by Phoenix Contact as the best-in-class technology to streamline license and entitlement management of its PLCnext control system solution.

Describing it as a programming software engineering solution suitable for Phoenix Contact controllers, the company says PC Worx Engineer can be used to implement automation concepts and is offered in different payable or free-of-charge versions, available with additional add-ins.

“After a comprehensive market analysis to find a suitable provider of licensing systems, our choice quickly fell on Wibu-Systems,” said Friedrich Wegener, specialist software standardization at Phoenix Contact Electronics.

In this first stage of the project, Phoenix Contact said it focused primarily on the ability to offer its software in a modular, scalable and efficient fashion. Its requirements included the need to protect its digital know-how and support the different ERP implementations that were installed at the various locations around the globe.

CodeMeter, Phoenix explains, was able to “completely fulfill” its expectations.

“With AxProtector.NET, [it] automatically encrypts classes and methods of the software and shields it with a safety shell against piracy and reverse engineering. With CmActLicense, an encrypted and signed file, they bind the license of their software to a fingerprint of the target system,” says Phoenix Contact, adding that the ERP integration challenge was overcome with the use of CodeMeter License Central Connector, enabling Phoenix Contact to interface its ERP systems with WibuSystems’ online database derived solution.

“Data driven applications, cloud centric platforms, and security technologies are fuelling the current IT spending of companies; these are not mere costs though, but rather an investment in a digital, global, and secure marketplace. Our fruitful collaboration with Phoenix Contact reflects the digital transformation of the engineering field and a new business approach built on immediate and diversified responses to the market needs,” Oliver Winzenried, CEO and founder of Wibu-Systems, said.