White Paper
Introduction
Manufacturing equipment, from entire plants to individual machines, relies on the use of individual or
multiple integrated control systems, typically including a combination of both hardware and software
that plant engineers use to program the desired application. For the makers of control systems and
manufacturing machinery, software can be an important USP (Unique Selling Point) as the indispensable
key for many functions and applications. This whitepaper discusses the many competitive advantages
that the makers and users of machines and their control systems can gain from CodeMeter. It also
provides an overview of the concept and use of CodeMeter and the AxProtector encryption technology.
Cost-conscious mechanical engineers must keep an eye on the price of effective control systems: Even
in the high-investment field of mechanical engineering, an unchecked increase in the price of control
systems cannot be accepted. Integrating protective technology like CodeMeter does come with upfront
costs. Does the additional investment pay off? How much of the machinery costs are owed to its control
systems? How will the control protections affect the long-term commercial prospects of the machine and
how could a protection system influence the long-term prospects and performance of the engineering
business? We will try to answer these questions for you in the following pages.
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