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Black Duck Releases Version 3.0 of Its protexIP(TM)/Development Software Compliance Management System; Expands Code Analysis Capability and KnowledgeBase; Adds New Entry-Level Model

Posted on: Tuesday, 1 November 2005, 09:00 CST

Black Duck Software Inc., the leading provider of software compliance management solutions, today announced a major new release of its protexIP/development system. Version 3.0 includes significantly enhanced capabilities for analyzing proprietary, open source, and third-party software for license compliance. The new version also features an expanded KnowledgeBase of software projects and license information, and offers a new, entry-level price point.

Version 3.0 reaffirms the protexIP suite's position as the broadest, most comprehensive solution available meeting the needs of enterprises, technology product companies, outsourcers, law firms, and other organizations that are concerned with protection of software intellectual property.

"As the market for open source and proprietary software IP management solutions heats up, this release clearly demonstrates the innovation that keeps Black Duck's products at the forefront of software compliance management," said Paul Henderson, Black Duck Software's vice president of Marketing. "protexIP/development Version 3.0 delivers several breakthrough capabilities as well as enhanced features that make it more accessible and enable more types of intellectual property to be managed within one comprehensive solution."

"Managing a distributed team of engineers, and with so much open source software available on the net, the task of ensuring that all the content of our code meets or exceeds our exacting standards is very challenging and time consuming," said Walter Giraitis, Director of QA at IMlogic. "Black Duck software makes this typically difficult problem downright easy to handle, and has enabled us to be more efficient so that we can focus more time on developing a quality product."

protexIP/development provides a highly accurate, automated and efficient way to manage the licensed contents of software assets throughout their lifecycle. The system lets companies manage what intellectual property (IP) is introduced into their code base and be sure that all licensed software is properly used, legally combined and in compliance with licensing obligations. protexIP/development creates a collaborative work environment that enables software developers, legal counsel, and business executives to work together to ensure license compliance via a proactive process.

Comprehensive Code Analysis

protexIP/development utilizes advanced digital Code Print(TM) technology and a comprehensive, online KnowledgeBase to automatically recognize open source, proprietary and commercial software that has been introduced into a code base. Version 3.0 offers several new features to expand the ways that software assets can be identified and managed:

-- A new String Search feature lets users find key words or phrases in the target code base, such as license name, copyright or author, from a customizable KnowledgeBase of queries.

-- More file types can be analyzed and recognized in Version 3.0. In addition to unique source code analysis techniques, new types of Linux, UNIX and Windows binary files, libraries, image files, Java archives and class files, and distribution, compression and executable formats can be analyzed for IP pedigree and licensing obligations. This analysis is programming language- and file type-independent, and users can customize the system to enable recognition of their own proprietary code.

-- This release dramatically expands the protexIP online KnowledgeBase that is used to match and identify code and licenses. The growing KnowledgeBase includes a database of over 200 million code prints and hundreds of licenses representing software projects from more than 1,800 of the world's most popular repositories, including SourceForge.net. Black Duck automation technology regularly updates this KnowledgeBase via its online subscription service, providing users with the most comprehensive and timely software project and license database on the market.

-- A variety of other new ease-of-use features is provided, including an export capability to output analysis results and enable easy interoperability with other applications such as document management systems, report generators, and productivity tools. Now protexIP analysis reports about the contents or licenses of a software project can be exported in HTML, eXtensible Markup Language (XML) or Microsoft Excel (.xls) formats.

New Entry-level Professional Edition

With protexIP/development Version 3.0, Black Duck has also introduced a new entry level model, called protexIP/development Professional Edition. This complements the protexIP/development Enterprise Edition already on the market. The Professional Edition is aimed at small businesses or any organizations just getting started with software compliance management. It is a single-user system for developers, lawyers or others involved with assessing code for open source software compliance. The Enterprise Edition is tailored to development workgroups and due diligence teams, and adds the multi-user/multi-role, security, license management and customization capabilities needed to implement full compliance processes.

Builds on Core protexIP Benefits

All these new features build on core features and benefits of the protexIP system that have made it the system of choice for many firms. For example, new code analysis techniques also leverage unique automated license analysis capabilities which identify the correct software license, and associated obligations and conflicts. Results of analyses can be remediated by software engineers or cleared by the company's legal counsel using the built-in Resolution tool. All results are managed and archived within the system to provide an historical and cross-organizational view of IP. Users of the protexIP/development Enterprise Edition can also extend the system to Custom Code Prints to manage proprietary software and licenses, and use the system as a platform to establish and automatically manage IP and licensing policies across global development teams.

The protexIP/development system creates a work environment that helps organizations to effectively manage their increasingly complex software licensing obligations, and surface critical issues before those issues become problems for customers, partners, and investors. By validating software contents, verifying license compliance, and finding and addressing issues early in the development cycle - or well in advance of a due diligence event - the protexIP platform helps companies reduce business risks, complete software projects on time and on budget, and stay on track with their business plans.

Available Now

protexIP/development is available now from Black Duck Software and its authorized resellers. protexIP is licensed as an annual software subscription that includes software and KnowledgeBase updates plus customer support. The annual subscription is priced based on edition, number of users and size of software base under management. protexIP/development Professional Edition starts at $9,500 and protexIP/development Enterprise Edition starts at $25,000. To register for an informational webinar focused on the new features and capabilities of Version 3.0, go to: http://www.blackducksoftware.com/news/events.html. For more information, visit www.blackducksoftware.com, or email sales@blackducksoftware.com, or call +1 781.891.5100, extension 450.

About Black Duck Software

Black Duck Software(TM) is the leading provider of software compliance management solutions that help companies govern how software assets are created, managed, and licensed. Black Duck's offerings help businesses take maximum advantage of open source software while at the same time ensure that they satisfy the obligations associated with the code they use. Black Duck's customer base includes enterprises, product developers, outsourcers, law firms and other organizations worldwide that are concerned with protection of software intellectual property. For more information about Black Duck, visit www.blackducksoftware.com.

(C) 2005 Black Duck Software, Inc. Black Duck Software, Sorting Out Software IP, and protexIP are trademarks of Black Duck Software, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective holders.

Source: Business Wire

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