SealedMedia updates DRM system

SealedMedia today released version 3.2 of its namesake digital rights management (DRM) product, with features such as NT authentication for tighter integration with enterprise applications.

SealedMedia 3.2 can add various levels of protection and tracking to Microsoft Office documents, images, videos and other common file types, even when files are taken offline by a mobile user. The system has three parts: A Sealer desktop application for adding protection; an Unsealer application for providing local access to protected content; and, a License Server for that grants keys for accessing content.

By adding integration with existing NT authentication systems, users have a single username and password for accessing SealedMedia-protected content, which can range from documents and spreadsheets to on-demand videos. It also prevents users from sharing their username and password with the people outside the company’s network domain, says George Everhart, CEO of Los Gatos, Calif.-based SealedMedia.

Version 3.2 also adds LDAP support via the SealedMedia Gateway to integrate with Active Directory or other corporate directories. Administrators now have the ability to administer user access by group, rather than having to set attributes individually.

To better serve mobile users and help customers comply with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act and the Sarbanes-Oxley regulations, SealedMedia has added more offline support that can show changes to file or whether it’s been opened, saved or printed.

Everhart says remote users can be assigned a temporary key that gives them offline access to a file for a set period of time. When the time has expired, the file remains encrypted with 128-bit AES technology until a new key is granted.

Finally, the company added a “silent installer” for the Unsealer application that allows large companies to push the program out without need for user intervention.

In the corporate DRM space, SealedMedia competes with the likes of Liquid Machines and Authentica. Microsoft is beginning to make noise in the market with DRM technology built into Office 2003.

SealedMedia does not disclose pricing for its family of products, though Everhart said a typical deal ranges from $200,000 to $300,000.