Protect-IT is a software licensing package. The whole system is operated and managed online, via our website. By default the website operates in a demonstration mode. This allows you to get an insight into how the system works with the minimum of fuss. Once you become a Protect-IT user you will be given a unique login to view and manage your own database of dongles.

The SSP website operates as an online application, called Protect-IT. As our customer you will purchase dongles to licence your own software application. You will then send these dongles on to your customers along with your application. You will manage and monitor these dongles through the online Protect-IT database, as outlined below;

In demo mode:
Without a login, the website is set up as a demonstration. The database is populated with a number of dummy dongles, allowing you to have a play around with the Protect-IT database.

As an SSP customer:
You will receive a unique login, this allows you to view and manage your database of customer dongles.

The Database tab:
Allows you to view and search on all your customer dongles along with all the settings on each dongle. This area also allows you to send out activation codes to single or batches of dongles. Activation codes allow you to remotely change settings on customer dongles.

The Monitor tab:
If you are distributing large numbers of dongles, more than one account can be set up to manage your dongles. The monitor page allows you to view the status and activity on these accounts.

The Reports tab:
This allows you to build reports on your customer dongles. Reports are customised by choosing which fields you want in each report.

Put simply, Protect-IT is an online software licensing and management system. Apart from the shipping of dongles, Protect-IT operates wholly as an online application, through the SSP website. This breaks down in the following way;

• You are welcome to make use of a free dongle and trial period to assess Protect-IT.
• Once you decide to go ahead, you need to purchase dongles & Protect-IT.
• Using Protect-IT, you configure these new dongles individually or en-mass to licence your software.
• Dongles are sent out to your customers along with your application.
• The dongle controls any required settings in your application, and controls the length of time your customers use the application.
• As required, Activation codes can be sent out to re-configured any settings on the customer dongles, individually or en-mass.
• Your customers can receive activation codes as an online update directly from your application, or in a notification e-mail.
• Any customer dongles can be de-activated in order to terminate their usage of your application.

We will send you a dongle and provide the use of Protect-IT free of charge for a trial period. This allows you to assess how the Protect-IT dongle licensing & online management system works, before committing to any expense on your part. For a free trial, please contact SSP.

Any number of dongles can be purchased at any time. Each copy of your application that you send out to a customer will require the use of a dongle in order for the customer to use the application. For more information on purchases, please contact SSP.

Once you receive your new dongles from SSP, they will need to be configured using Protect-IT.

Each dongle has a number of settings which will need initialising before being sent out to your customers along with your application, these settings will need to be set on each dongle;

Username:	This is a unique name for each dongle.
Expiry date:	The date on which the dongle becomes inactive, hence the user will no longer be able to use your application.
Application id:	This ties the dongle to a specific application. Used if you are distributing more than one application type.
Language:	This will control the language your customers will use.

There are also a number of optional setting on each dongle. These are additional dongle settings which could correspond to settings within your application. For example, you may want some dongles setting up so customers can use additional modules within your application, while other dongles may need to restrict customer usage of certain modules within your application. There are 25 different options in total, thus allowing plenty of flexibility. These settings are;

Strings:	There are 5 different string settings available.
Doubles:	There are 5 different double settings available.
Integer:	There are 5 different integer settings available.
Boolean:	There are 5 different boolean settings available.

Setting up a new dongle

All new dongles you receive will already have been added to the Protect-IT database. To alter any settings on a dongle, firstly make sure you are logged into the SSP website, and viewing the Database page. Select the required dongle from your table of dongles and select the Send Specific activation code. This will present you with all the available settings to be filled out as required. Then click on the Send activation code button.

Once the new dongle have been configured, they are ready to send to a customer along with your application. Once your customer has installed your software, the dongle will need to be plugged into their machine in order to open and operate your application.

An activation code is a short encrypted string, these can be sent out to customers to alter settings on their dongle(s). You can send an activation code to a single dongle, or to a whole batch of dongles at the same time. If you have sent out a large number of dongles to your customers, Protect-IT contains a sophisticated filter system, allowing you to filter out specific dongles or groups of dongles to receive a given activation code.

Customers can receive activation codes in three ways;

• Via e-mail. The activation code is contained in an e-mail which is automatically sent out the requested dongles.
• Notification e-mail. The requested customer is sent a notification e-mail. This informs the customer to receive their online update via your application, at which point the activation code will be automatically read by their dongle.
• No notification. The customer is not notified. However, the next time the customer checks for an online update, the activation code will automatically be read by their dongle.

Once a dongle has been sent out to a customer, you can still retain control over it through the use of an Activation code. An Activation code is a short, encrypted sequence of characters, which controls the settings written onto the dongle.

Using Activation codes to control customers dongles can be a very powerful tool;

• To change the user settings of the software being used.
• To change the expiry date for the customers license.
• To stop a non-paying customer from using your software.

See below for more information on these topics.

Using the settings on the dongle, a customer may have initially been set up to use a restricted version of your software package. At a later date the customer may want to move to the full version of the application. This can easily be achieved by sending out an activation code to change given settings on their dongle. For example a customer may purchase a stripped down version of your software for a reduced price. In time the customer may want to move to the full version. Sending out a new activation code achieves this instantly and easily.

Using an activation code to change the expiry date of the dongle is a commonly used and powerful option. A developer may wish to distribute their software to customers on a monthly rental basis. Using a dongle which expires at the end of the month is a good way of achieving this. Each month, paying customers will receive a new activation code for the following month. Usage for non-paying customers can be easily terminated by not sending a new activation code.

If you need to stop an existing customer using your software, then once the expiry date is passed , the customer will no longer be able to open your application. This is easiest if dongle expiry dates are set on a monthly basis using a monthly activation code. This means customers can never achieve more than a months worth of use without your consent.