FlexNet Publisher

<h2 id="history">History</h2>
FLEXlm was originally a joint development by GLOBEtrotter Software and Highland Software in 1988. Highland's rights to the FLEXlm product were acquired by GLOBEtrotter in 1994; Highland continued as a reseller of 3rd party software. GLOBEtrotter was then acquired by <a href="/facts/Macrovision/cxIq83yf">Macrovision</a> in 2000. Combining features from the Safecast protection system and FLEXlm, FlexNet featured <a href="/facts/Product_activation/b85LkpcW">product activation</a> and executable wrapping, supporting <a href="/facts/Floating_licensing/omPNTU71">floating licensing</a> and node locked licensing models. Macrovision subsequently renamed FLEXlm to FLEXnet Publisher.
The original FLEXlm development team moved on to develop the <a href="/facts/Reprise_License_Manager/PGbYCTfE">Reprise License Manager</a> (RLM) at Reprise Software in 2006.
On 1 April 2008 Macrovision's Software Business Unit, which included FLEXnet Publisher, was sold to the private equity company <a href="/facts/Thoma_Cressey_Bravo/GPaq74pu">Thoma Cressey Bravo</a> and subsequently relaunched as Acresso Software. It was a cash transaction valued at approximately $200 million.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:1" href="#fn:1">1</a>
In October 2009 Acresso Software announced its name change to Flexera Software and FLEXnet Publisher was changed to FlexNet Publisher.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:2" href="#fn:2">2</a>
A July 2011 announcement said that Teachers' Private Capital, the private investment department of the Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan, had agreed to acquire a majority stake in Flexera Software from Thoma Bravo, LLC, a private equity firm.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:3" href="#fn:3">3</a>
The product is currently marketed by Flexera Software as FlexNet Publisher.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:4" href="#fn:4">4</a>

<h2 id="issues-with-bootloaders">Issues with bootloaders</h2>
Due to the way the <a href="/facts/Digital_rights_management/4AF8JmDt">digital rights management</a> (DRM) works in FlexNet Publisher, FlexNet affects <a href="/facts/Bootloader/6sNpcLMK">bootloaders</a>; this makes FlexNet Publisher incompatible with drives encrypted with <a href="/facts/TrueCrypt/vK1yL9Io">TrueCrypt</a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:5" href="#fn:5">5</a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:6" href="#fn:6">6</a> and renders <a href="/facts/Linux/9FvCKSTq">Linux</a>-based systems unable to boot.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:7" href="#fn:7">7</a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:8" href="#fn:8">8</a> The TrueCrypt developers also state that "the issue is caused by inappropriate design of the third-party activation software."<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:9" href="#fn:9">9</a>

<h2 id="other-license-management-software">Other license management software</h2>
<ul><li><a href="https://cryptolens.io">Cryptolens</a></li>
<li><a href="https://licensespring.com">LicenseSpring</a></li>
<li>IBM LUM</li>
<li><a href="/facts/LM-X_License_Manager/DNbYHsmE">LM-X License Manager</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.openlm.com/">OpenLM</a></li>
<li><a href="/facts/Reprise_License_Manager/PGbYCTfE">Reprise License Manager</a> (RLM)</li>
<li>Wibu-Systems</li>
<li><a href="/facts/Windows_Genuine_Advantage/apwNup6Q">Windows Genuine Advantage</a></li></ul>

<h2 id="external-links">External links</h2>
<ul><li><a href="https://www.flexera.com/producer/products/software-monetization/flexnet-licensing/flexnet-publisher/">Official website</a> </li></ul>

<h2 id="references">References</h2>

<ol>
<li id="fn:1">"Acresso Software Press Release". Flexerasoftware.com. Archived from the original on 2 June 2013. Retrieved 27 October 2014. <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130602033702/http://www.flexerasoftware.com/company/newscenter/pressreleases/press-releases_8572.htm" target="_blank">https://web.archive.org/web/20130602033702/http://www.flexerasoftware.com/company/newscenter/pressreleases/press-releases_8572.htm</a> <a href="#fnref:1" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:2">Eric Lai (10 October 2009). "Acresso who? Macrovision spinoff changes name, again (Computerworld article)". Computerworld. Retrieved 27 October 2014. <a href="http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9139211/Acresso_who_Macrovision_spinoff_changes_name_again?taxonomyId=1" target="_blank">http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9139211/Acresso_who_Macrovision_spinoff_changes_name_again?taxonomyId=1</a> <a href="#fnref:2" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:3">"Teachers' Private Capital to Acquire Majority Stake in Flexera Software". Marketwire. Archived from the original on 2 October 2012. Retrieved 27 October 2014. <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20121002182844/http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/teachers-private-capital-to-acquire-majority-stake-in-flexera-software-1539798.htm" target="_blank">https://web.archive.org/web/20121002182844/http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/teachers-private-capital-to-acquire-majority-stake-in-flexera-software-1539798.htm</a> <a href="#fnref:3" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:4">Centralized Management Eases License Server Administration. flexerasoftware.com. Retrieved 2016-11-21 <a href="http://www.flexerasoftware.com/enterprise/products/software-license-management/flexnet-manager-engineering-apps/" target="_blank">http://www.flexerasoftware.com/enterprise/products/software-license-management/flexnet-manager-engineering-apps/</a> <a href="#fnref:4" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:5">"Freeze when you reboot a Windows system that has TrueCrypt Disk Encryption software and Adobe applications installed". Kb2.adobe.com. Retrieved 27 October 2014. <a href="http://kb2.adobe.com/cps/403/kb403210.html" target="_blank">http://kb2.adobe.com/cps/403/kb403210.html</a> <a href="#fnref:5" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:6">"TrueCrypt". Kb2.adobe.com. Archived from the original on 16 April 2013. Retrieved 27 October 2014. <a href="https://archive.today/20130416014149/http://www.truecrypt.org/docs/incompatibilities" target="_blank">https://archive.today/20130416014149/http://www.truecrypt.org/docs/incompatibilities</a> <a href="#fnref:6" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:7">"Colin Watson". chiark.greenend.org.uk. 28 August 2010. Retrieved 27 October 2014. <a href="http://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/ucgi/~cjwatson/blosxom/debian/2010-08-28-windows-applications-making-grub2-unbootable.html" target="_blank">http://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/ucgi/~cjwatson/blosxom/debian/2010-08-28-windows-applications-making-grub2-unbootable.html</a> <a href="#fnref:7" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:8">"Bug #441941 "grub fails after running Windows" : Bugs : "grub2" package : Ubuntu". Bugs.launchpad.net. 4 October 2009. Retrieved 27 October 2014. <a href="https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/grub2/+bug/441941" target="_blank">https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/grub2/+bug/441941</a> <a href="#fnref:8" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:9">"TrueCrypt". Truecrypt.org. Archived from the original on 16 April 2013. Retrieved 27 October 2014. <a href="https://archive.today/20130416014149/http://www.truecrypt.org/docs/incompatibilities" target="_blank">https://archive.today/20130416014149/http://www.truecrypt.org/docs/incompatibilities</a> <a href="#fnref:9" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
</ol>

FlexNet Publisher open-in-new

FlexNet Publisher