CmStick\\BMI USB Dongle with pSLC Flash Memory

Wibu-Systems, the leading vendor in secure software license management, has expanded its “B” family of USB dongles with the introduction of the CmStick/BMI, a new hardware secure element with pSLC (pseudo-single-level-cell) flash memory. The device will be officially launched at SPS IPC Drives in Nuremberg, Germany, November 27-29, 2018.

CmStick/BMI joins the CmStick/B and BMC variants without flash memory and with MLC (multi-level-cell flash memory). All three units share common features: a robust and elegant metal casing, compact in size, easily removable from the target device when the license has to be operated from a different endpoint, sturdy design with the USB connector fully integrated in the body of the unit using SiP technology, and completely customizable to support all branding needs. The three devices meet commercial and OEM grade technical requirements. SLC flash memory for industrial-grade dongles is still available on board the CmStick/MI and all Wibu-Systems CmCards.

Wibu-Systems developed its first dongle 30 years ago and has since gone through a number of generations to maintain the top level of performance and security. The company’s current proprietary hardware license container lineup comprises USB dongles in various styles, secure memory cards (CF, CFast, SD and microSD), and ASICs. Last year Wibu-Systems announced a complete re-engineering of its CmSticks and introduced the new members of the “B” family one by one.

Hardware dongles of all shapes and sizes remain a favorite for developers and users alike. The protection they offer against counterfeiting and reverse engineering is far superior to any soft or cloud-licensing technology; the license portability that comes from simply unplugging and re-plugging the dongle is unparalleled; and only hardware dongles allow multi-vendor support.

When dongles come with flash memory on board, the memory itself can also be partitioned in up to four areas to enable additional uses: CmPublic with full read and write rights; CmSecure where data can only be accessed in blocks via a CodeMeter API; CmPrivate, a password protected and encrypted partition; and CmCdRom, which the host system recognizes as a write-once CD drive.

Oliver Winzenried, CEO and founder of Wibu-Systems and owner of a number of patents to the protection and licensing technology wrapped around CmDongles, believes that the new CmStick “B” series will be a total game changer in the company’s portfolio: “We are totally committed to supplying our customers and end users with products that fully respond to the specific environments they operate in. We continue to refine their bill of materials and engineering design to provide optimal performance, long life cycles, and long data retention. Our new CmStick/BMI is the first hardware secure element of ours to rely on pSLC and thus offer higher reliability than MLC-based units at a lower pricing point than standard SLC devices.”

At SPS IPC Drives, Wibu-Systems will also show several automation-specific applications typically realized with dongles. In the secure password management solution for the Siemens TIA Portal, CmDongles are used as secure elements for password storage in combination with CodeMeter License Central, the cloud and database-derived solution for license lifecycle management, CodeMeter WebDepot, the user portal for license activation, CodeMeter Manager, the tool for password and entitlement management, and CodeMeter Password Provider, the interface module between CodeMeter technology and the TIA Portal.