Adobe Systems Inc., aiming to up the ante in securing files and documents that are shared across an extended, global supply chain, has acquired the digital rights management (DRM) technology of Navisware, a small, privately-held company, for an undisclosed amount.
The Navisware FileLine DRM technology will provide new capabilities for Adobe's LiveCycle Policy Server enterprise system, allowing it to secure critical business documents created in Microsoft Office and CAD formats. The current version of Adobe LiveCycle Policy Server provides a secure environment only for PDF files.
Adobe LiveCycle Policy Server distinguishes itself from traditional document-management or product lifecycle management (PLM) systems, which archive and manage files, by providing a layer of security that travels with the document, allowing companies to set controls around access and what is done with a file that apply even when the package crosses a company's firewall. The software is based on Microsoft's LDAP (Lightweight Directory Access Protocol), a set of protocols for accessing information directories that ensures the person receiving the document package is indeed the right person.
LiveCycle Policy Server also includes capabilities for setting restrictions on such functions as forwarding, printing, or opening a document, which can also be modified on the fly without having to produce a new document. It also has provisions for version control and other auditing functions.
"The strength of PLM systems or document-management systems is in managing documents within a system for revisions and file formats," explained Michael Morel, Adobe's director of manufacturing industry, in an interview with Managing Automation. "Where they fall down is once the information gets out of the system, there's no way of controlling where it goes and what happens to it. They're very good at managing information, but not so good at securing information once it's outside the firewall."
It's the document management vendor's ability to attach security to a document package that sets it apart from other software systems and solves a critical need for manufacturers, Morel said. "If you think about the way security works, it's a trusted entry approach -- manufacturers set up a secure FTP site, hand out passwords, and trust that the people they give passwords to won't do anything wrong with the information," he said. "But the truth is, once it's out of the enterprise, companies have no recourse if someone chooses to do something they don't approve of."
While the Adobe LiveCycle Policy Server product is not a replacement for document-management or PLM systems, it is a good complement for delivering a higher level of security, Morel added.
Digital rights management products, while still a nascent market, are becoming more important to manufacturers as regulatory compliance becomes more of a concern and they grapple with how to manage it within an extended supply chain. "New regulations in the last few years put stricter accountability rules to many companies," said Joe Wilcox, senior analyst at Jupiter Research, in Washington, DC. "As a result, companies are putting in infrastructure that allows them to better archive documents and better manage and protect them."
With the Navisware technology, Adobe is bringing its DRM technology to a much wider audience -- one that is helping to manage and protect heterogeneous files. The U.S. Green Building Council, a coalition of organizations providing certification for constructing environmentally responsible buildings, is one of those customers. With over 2,000 construction projects seeking its certification, the coalition's Web site is the hub for submitting all kinds of confidential documents, with data in a variety of formats.
"In our industry, we collect buildings materials in formats such as CAD drawings or spreadsheets," explained Joseph Diianni, director of technology for the Washington, DC-based organization. "Being able to extend those resources out to more of our customers is important, especially in a secure fashion."
By addressing the needs of manufacturers to share and protect heterogeneous files, Adobe also gains a leg up on Microsoft Corp., which is also aggressively pursuing a digital rights management strategy as part of its Windows Rights Management Services. Microsoft's DRM capabilities, built around .Net services and Windows Server 2003, are somewhat limited, however, because they only protect Microsoft files, Wilcox said.
Adobe is aiming to provide enhancements to LiveCycle Policy Server based on the Navisware technology by the fall. Navisware FileLine DRM employees, in Raleigh, NC will be relocated to Adobe's San Jose, CA headquarters. Navisware's CAD integration business will continue to operate as a separate company.
The acquisition made sense, Morel said, because the pair already had a partnership and Adobe was concerned with time-to-market for these capabilities. "Manufacturing is becoming a big focus for Adobe," he explained. "We felt this was critical to our strategy and we wanted to do it quickly. It became a buy vs. make decision, and it made more sense to buy."