Softricity Receives Patent for Securing Access to Applications on Distributed Networks

Market Wire, July, 2004

Softricity announced today it has received approval by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for one of its patents on securing access to applications on distributed networks. Softricity's "Methods and Apparatus for Content Protection in a Secure Delivery System," U.S. Patent No. 6,763,370, protects applications and data against unauthorized distribution and access.

"Applications are increasingly deployed on distributed networks, both in corporate utility computing environments and on the public internet. As a result, they are more vulnerable than ever to unauthorized use," said Stuart Schaefer, CTO of Softricity. "This patent takes a unique approach to digital rights management by protecting content through securing access to the distribution infrastructure, securing the use of the content, and coupling use of the content to the network."

The company's new patent granted for content protection includes the following key innovations:

1.  Location Transparent Content Acquisition -- A user will obtain the
    rights for a selected piece of content independent of its
    distribution source or final destination.
2.  Time-based, location-based and service-based access tokens provided
    by a Conditional Access Server (CAS).  Once users are authenticated,
    the CAS converts the rights to use the identified content into a token
    that is configured to enable access to the distribution network for a
    specific service which is accessible at a particular distribution
    location for a particular time period.
3.  Reading content requires an activator
    To read content users must return to a CAS to get a series of keys to
    unlock the content received. Rather than a simple cryptographic key,
    the CAS generates code used to run a conversion program that unlocks
    the content.
4.  Variable-time activator only works for a specific time period
    The activator is only useable for a short duration.  If the content is
    required for an extended duration, the user must refresh activators.
    Outside of the lifetime of an activator it will fail to unlock the
    content.  As a result, even if unauthorized users are able to crack a
    key it will not work the next time they try using it.

Softricity's SoftGrid Platform provides an end-to-end system for the management and deployment of on-demand rich content, including applications, and includes many of the innovations described above.

About Softricity:

Softricity® helps enterprises simplify and accelerate software management with SoftGrid, the industry's first application virtualization platform. The award-winning SoftGrid utility computing solution transforms applications from products that must be installed locally into virtual services that are centrally managed and deployed on-demand to any Windows desktop, laptop and Terminal Services/Citrix MetaFrame Presentation server. By eliminating application conflicts and regression testing, and increasing change management responsiveness, SoftGrid expedites deployment, upgrades, patches and terminations. Global 2000 companies such as Prudential, AIG, ABM Industries, and Raytheon use SoftGrid to save tremendous time and money, enhance IT service quality, and transform into more dynamic businesses. Softricity has a multiyear Strategic Alliance with Microsoft Corp., is a Microsoft Terminal Services Industry Partner and is a Premier Citrix Business Alliance Member. More information can be found at http://www.softricity.com.

Softricity Inc.
27 Melcher Street
Boston, MA 02210
617.695.0336

Press Contact: Janice Bedsole Bedsole & Company 781.789.6108 janice@bedsoleandcompany.com