Smarte Solutions

Through a patent-pending media manipulation technology, SSI protects software applications distributed on CD media from casual piracy. SSI offers software manufacturers a cost-effective anti-piracy solution that resides entirely within the CD media itself. This anti-piracy technology distinguishes an original, properly licensed CD from a forgery. With this solution, software manufacturers can effectively render forged application CDs unusable.

At the point of CD production (either replication or duplication), the SSI technology physically alters the CD media in a way that cannot be duplicated or digitally reproduced by standard CD writer hardware and software. SSI has developed the necessary code (static and dynamic link libraries) whereby the originality of the media can be efficiently validated through a seamless check for the media manipulation. Calls to this validation code can be contained within a third party file wrapper shell (code to protect the native application code from being stripped) or placed directly within the protected application(s) by the developer.

The validation code can be called at whatever point or points a particular application needs to validate the originality of the CD. When called, the validation code determines whether or not the disc media is valid and original. This key information is then passed back to either the application (if called from the application) or to the file wrapper shell (if called from the shell), which then carries out the appropriate action, in line with the software manufacturer’s Piracy Management objectives.

Smarte Product Authentication is a customizable Software Piracy Management platform, developed by Smarte Solutions, Inc. (or “SSI”), at the core of which is an immediately mass-deployable, CD-based copy protection tool, marketed as SmarteCD. The platform, as a whole, is comprised of complimentary Smarte Technologies that can be variably bundled by software manufacturers to provide sound, revenue-enhancing solutions that combat software piracy. The purpose of Piracy Management is to provide software manufacturers an immediate return on investment by significantly increasing legitimate sales and decreasing both production and distribution costs.

Smarte Product Authentication offers software manufacturers a flexible and cost-effective Piracy Management infrastructure that is ideally suited for the protection and promotion of multi-license enterprise software as well as individual consumer-license retail applications distributed on CD or via the Internet. For product and business environments that do require a rigorous ‘anti-piracy’ solution, Smarte Product Authentication can provide the strictest possible protection to an application, eliminating virtually all casual piracy of the product. Smarte Product Authentication, though, differentiates itself from alternative anti-piracy solutions in its flexibility of implementation. Because the infrastructure is comprised of distinct tools that can be used in different combinations and with variable underlying strategies, the resulting Piracy Management solution can be tailored to fit company and product specific user-base objectives. By uniquely managing piracy through Smarte Product Authentication, software companies can exploit piracy to their economic benefit – maximizing piracy’s positive contributions and minimizing its negative effects.

Eclipse Data Technologies is another leading provider of CD replication management solutions. Eclipse is also enabling the software-only replication management of SSI’s copy protection mechanism for use with its CD replication management systems. Additionally, Eclipse is working with SSI to provide a CD replication ‘fail-safe’ mechanism that prevents wasted replication resources resulting from the common occurrence of unusable CD’s being porduced during the replication process – improving replicator efficiency and lowering production costs.

Founded in 1998 and privately held, Austin, Texas-based Infraworks Corporation is an emerging leader in the development of infrastructure security software and technologies. With Infraworks suite of Digital Property Protection™ products and patented active security technology, owners of digital assets can define and control the use of their creative and intellectual properties. Infraworks’ InTether technology is the only solution available that protects data at its most vulnerable point – while in use. InTether is applicable to common data file types including Word (.doc), Excel (.xls), Powerpoint (.ppt), and PDF (.pdf) as well as graphic files (such as .jpg and .gif).

This strategic partnership enables the InTether application to integrate SSI’s SmarteCD and Smarte Signature capabilities to aid in Access Management of documents distributed on CD media. Such solutions provide an effective Document-Lock-to-Disc system fulfilling the following objectives:

* To prevent the unauthorized use of documents originally distributed on CD media.
* To effectively lock documents to their host CD media without permanent storage on a viewer’s hard drive.
* To effectively require the viewer of the documents to physically have the host CD media anytime the documents are viewed.
* To disallow the physical printing of the documents while the documents are being viewed.
* To provide the viewer the mobility to view the documents on any machine (with the host CD media present).
* To disallow functional copies of the original CD to be created.
* To enable the distributor of the documents the flexibility to add variable documents to CD media at its own discretion.
* To provide the distributor of the documents CD media containing encrypted and embedded serial numbers (Smarte Signatures) unique to each disc.

In addition to the use of SmarteCD and Smarte Signature technology to allow secure distribution of InTethered content on CD, the two companies are developing joint solutions in the following areas:

* Web based distribution of InTethered content.
* Web based distribution of person-to-person content.
* Local identification verification.
* Use of the InTether ID as a machine authentication.
* Use of the InTether ID as part of the Authentication of web delivered InTethered content.
* Use of the Identity Management to allow authorized backups of InTethered content.
* Integration of backend Payment system with InTether Server.
* Construction of a security model of 3-factor Identification combining machine and user.
* Application protection in conjunction with media protection and ownership protection.

SSI has anticipated the fact that many software manufacturers will desire strong file wrapping technology in conjunction with CD copy protection. A file wrapper serves to protect the actual code of an application from being stripped out, reproduced, and redistributed outside of the original protection employed. In this regard, SSI has developed a strong strategic partnership with Xtreamlok. Xtreamlok’s xLok is a best-of-breed file wrapper product and has been developed to integrate SSI’s copy protection validation software. This relationship is mutually beneficial as file wrapping technology alone does not prevent CD copying and redistribution. Layering the security of XtreamLok’s industry leading file wrapper around SSI’s universally machine-compatible copy protection technology affords software manufacturers an ideal blend of two complimentary and necessary parts to a comprehensive media-only anti-piracy solution.

xLok’s advanced, next-generation technology works seamlessly above the protected application(s) delivering the following security features:

Tamper Resistance – automatically detects unauthorized modification to the protected application on disk or while running in memory. xLok also detects known viruses and will detect future developed viruses.
Anti-Reverse Engineering – makes the code of the protected application inaccessible.
Anti-Debugging – detects the use of debugging programs that are used to monitor the execution of a protected application. xLok does not simply look for a particular brand of debugger, but detects the essential traits of a debugger and can therefore thwart future debuggers as well.
Anti-Memory Dumping – significantly reduces the exposure of the protected application while running in memory to the point where a hacker would have to execute each function call manually, note the original function name and then replace by hand.
Anti-Disassembler – ensures the output generated by disassembler programs is useless.
Mutation Engine – analyzes the original code to the outer layers of the xLok shell and completely rewrites the code so that it is functionally the same, but always randomly different. This feature prevents any kind of patch program from being able to search for a signature.
Multi-Platform Support – supports the Intel Pentium and higher chipset, the AMD Athlon and higher chipset, and supports multiple processor systems (SMP). xLok supports all current Microsoft Windows 32-bit operating systems, including Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows Millennium, Windows NT 4.0 and Windows 2000 (NT 5.0).

xLok is applied to Windows based applications after compile time, requires little to no modification of original source code to operate effectively, and works on .exe, .dll, .ocx and .sys files developed for use with any Windows 32-bit operating system.

Optical Disc Corporation (ODC) is a leading provider of CD replication management products. The strategic partnership between SSI and ODC has produced a software-only plug-in solution to manage the replication of CD’s incorporating SSI’s software copy protection mechanism. This solution is readily available to ODC’s extensive base of replication partners. Through the partnership, ODC is also in the position to create stampers (templates used in CD replication) containing SSI’s copy protection mechanism for broad distribution to authorized replicators.

Kodak’s Programmable CD-ROM Technology presents an ideal media solution to efficiently and affordably enable the production of application CDs that incorporate key features of SSI’s Piracy Management Solutions. The hybrid CD-R and CD-ROM capabilities of the media allow for both the cost-effective replication of SSI’s SmarteCD media-based copy protection features in on-demand fulfillment scenarios as well as the addition of Smarte Signatures as a secondary process.

Eastman Kodak Company is the first to overcome the technological barriers to creating a disc with both stampable and recordable areas. Kodak Programmable CD-ROM Technology allows software manufacturers to stamp the first area, effectively mass replicating content common to each disc in a production run. The second area can then be used to burn unique content either to individual discs or batches of discs within the same production run. This unique content can be virtually any imaginable data such as encrypted product serial numbers, regionally targeted marketing programs, purchaser identifiers, application licenses, and software access keys. The physical sizes of the stampable and recordable areas are completely flexible, allowing for maximum use of the media’s storage capacity (over 650 MB per disc).
Eastman Kodak, Kodak, and Programmable CD-ROM Technology are trademarks of Eastman Kodak Company.

Founded in 1999 and based in Austin, Texas, Smarte Solutions, Inc. (or “SSI”) is a privately held security software solutions provider. SSI’s innovative research & development team has succeeded in creating patent-pending Product and User Authentication platforms. Primarily focused on directly delivering these solutions to combat both software piracy and online user identity fraud, Smarte Solutions also pursues strategic partnerships with companies that possess synergistic technologies. These mutually beneficial relationships aim to quickly broaden the applicability of component technologies beyond their initial applications. To date, SSI has formalized several such partnerships in the spaces of CD Replication Management, Digital Content Protection, Document Protection, File Wrapping, and Alternative Media Development.

BALA VISHWANATH
Chairman of the Board, President, Founder
Mr. Vishwanath has over 11 years of experience in the high-tech industry with successful mid-cap corporations such as Synopsys, Inc., and Crystal Semiconductor, as well as a successful startup, Epic Design Technology. He has a BS and MS in Electrical Engineering. Mr. Vishwanath has developed and managed large teams at Synopsys, Inc. in areas of Technical Sales and Support. Mr. Vishwanath has several accolades attributed to him from being the first among millions of students in overall performance in India to being the top consultant at Synopsys, Inc. three years in a row.

MICHAEL SHAPIRO
CEO, Board Member
Mr. Shapiro is currently President of Global Seed Fund, an international high-tech investment firm. He has been building high tech companies since 1978, including two of his own. Mr. Shapiro holds a degree in Electronic Technology from Texas A&M University and spent seven years as a design manager with the Motorola Microprocessor Design Group in Austin, Texas. He was instrumental in the startup of Power Computing, the fastest growing computer company in history ($500M first year revenues) and was a member of the TechWorks management team during the three consecutive years the Company ranked in Inc. Magazine’s fastest growing companies in America.

MARK ESHELMAN
COO, Board Member, Executive VP of Sales, Co-Founder
Mr. Eshelman has over 20 years of experience in sales and marketing at Initiative Technology, Inc. and Global Micro Systems, a company he founded and sold successfully. He was directly responsible for negotiating several multi-million dollar contracts with fortune 500 clients such as AT&T Research, USPS, Lucent Technologies, Petsmart and Siemens Electrocom. He also served in the capacity of Vice President of Sales and Marketing for CompuAdd Corporation. Mr. Eshelman contributed to the growth of CompuAdd, as it progressed from $1 million in sales to over $500 million, during a 5-year period.

MATT KOTWAS
Vice President, Finance and Operations
Mr. Kotwas has over 17 years of experience in business and finance, including seven years in the software sector. He is the former Director of Finance for Vignette Corporation, where Mr. Kotwas was instrumental in operational and strategic planning as the company grew from a 60 person startup entity to a publicly owned corporation of over 2,000 employees and over $400M in annualized revenues. Prior to Vignette, Mr. Kotwas has worked for Trilogy and the University of Texas. Mr. Kotwas has an MBA from St. Edwards University and a B.S. in Physics.

JENNIFER DEVENING
Acting Vice President, Business Development
Ms. Devening has over 12 years of experience. She is President of iLINC Comm, a consulting firm focused on high growth startup companies. She held key management positions at Sprint Business, which focused on emerging opportunities for wireless, LECs, and data services. She restored profitability to Sprint’s international voice services. She was also a sales development manager for HP where she delivered over 35% of the PC revenue for her division. Ms. Devening also held key marketing positions at EO, Inc. and GO Corp – two wireless startups – as well as Oracle Corporation. Ms. Devening holds a BA in Classics and a language degree from La Sorbonne in Paris, France.

BRIAN MANTZ
Director, Research & Development
Mr. Mantz has over 17 years of experience in programming and management within manufacturing and service organizations. His experience ranges from quality control, engineering and production to customer service, sales, and marketing. He is the primary author and creator of the Smarte ACHieve engine, which was acquired by SSI. Mr. Mantz has been an integral player in the review, design and implementation of various software applications for multiple organizations. His past experiences in programming have contributed significantly in the development of the SSI system.

Smarte Solutions Advisory Board

Neil Webber
Co-founder and former CTO of Vignette Corporation, served in executive positions for Epoch Systems and Dazel Corporation.

Thomas Dye
Founder of Interactive Silicon, served in executive positions for Dell, Motorola and Cirrus Logic.

Jack Lynch
Former VP of Finance/Operations and Secretary at Vignette Corp., former controller for Trilogy Development Group.

Vijay Mahajan
John P. Harbin Centennial Chair of UT Austin Graduate School of Business, Professor, published extensively on software product diffusion and market strategy in such journals as Harvard Business.

Kelly Rodgers
General Counsel, RateGenius, former partner, Winstead Sechrest & Minick P.C.

Secure your software from the economic threat of piracy and give your bottom line a boost…

Smarte Product Authentication
Enhanced Software Copy Protection and Piracy Management Solutions

With Smarte Product Authentication, SSI provides copy protection and extended piracy management solutions to the software industry enabling software manufacturers to not only protect a product and further incent licensed customers, but to also capture, connect with, and convert unlicensed users into paying customers.

Secure your website from the perils of identity fraud and give your end-users the peace of mind they demand…

Smarte User Authentication
Advanced User Identity and Access Management Solutions

With Smarte User Authentication, SSI provides strong device-based access management solutions to online businesses and organizations that require cutting-edge, mass-deployable user authentication technology to protect their systems from identity fraud and transactional repudiation.