FileOpen Document Security Blog

Should you migrate from Adobe LiveCycle ES to FileOpen DRM?

Written by FileOpen DRM News | Dec 16, 2011 5:17:00 PM

See how the two solutions stack up, feature by feature.

Adobe made some pretty big announcements over the last year.  First was the news that Adobe retired its “LiveCycle” brand; the enterprise suite which encompassed document workflow and rights management features. They further explained that all LiveCycle capabilities are now incorporated within Adobe Digital Enterprise Platform (ADEP), their customer experience management (CEM) platform. Most notably, a post issued last month in Adobe's Enterprise Blog stated, “The Adobe LiveCycle business will continue to pursue enhancements and new customers in select verticals such as government and financial services” and that “we will continue to support customers in all verticals.” 

 

Our interpretation is that Adobe is now maintaining current LiveCycle customers while encouraging them to upgrade to newer versions of the software.  Customers are still able to upgrade to the latest capabilities available for their specific LiveCycle module, as well as purchase additional modules to expand their applications. 

What does this mean for customers who just need to deploy DRM functionality in the Adobe Reader? ADEP is a comprehensive content management system for enterprise customers who need an end-to-end solution; but it can be overkill for someone just looking to distribute documents securely. 

As one of a select few Adobe Security Partners licensed to load “security handler” plug-ins in the free Adobe Reader, FileOpen offers a targeted DRM solution which you can integrate into your existing workflow. As we demonstrate below, there is quite a bit of overlap between Adobe LiveCycle’s DRM feature set and FileOpen’s. We’ve put together a comparison chart to help in determining if migrating from LiveCycle to FileOpen makes sense for your organization.

 

 
FileOpen DRM Solutions
Adobe LiveCycle Rights Management ES
Licensing Methods
Client/Server Based Licensing
Yes
 Yes
Software as a Service (SaaS)-Based Licensing
 Yes  Yes
Authentication
User-Based Identification
 Yes  Yes
Computer-Based Identification
 Yes  Yes
Domain Authorization
 Yes  Yes
Smart Card Authentication
 No  Yes
Cookie-Based Authentication
 Yes  Yes
Policy Management
User/Role/Group-Based Access
 Yes  Yes
Create New Policies
 Yes  Yes
Change/Revoke Access
 Yes  Yes
Usage Logging & Metering
 Yes  Yes
Copy/Delete Policies
 Yes  Yes
Add/Remove Policy Administrators
 No  Yes
Rights
Offline Viewing
 Yes  Yes
Open/View Rights
 Yes  Yes
Print Count
 Yes  Yes
Copy/Paste Rights
 Yes  Yes
Embargo/Expiration Rights
 Yes  Yes
View/Print with Watermark
 Yes  Yes
Screen Grab Protection
 Yes  No
Protected Changes
 Yes  Yes
Version Control
 Yes  Yes
Security
Encryption Levels
128-bit RC4, (128/256-bit AES Q1 2015)
128-bit RC4, 128/256-bit AES
Key Management
Pseudo Random Number Generator
Pseudo Random Number Generator
Integration
Enterprise Directory/LDAP Integration
 Yes  Yes
Client side integration (components, plug-ins, etc.)
Solutions available with and without client integration.
Website’s certificate must be installed to access Rights Management ES through the client applications.
Operating System (Encryption)
Microsoft® Windows Server®, Sun™ Solaris™, Linux ®, freeBSD®, HP_UX®, .NET, JAVA
Microsoft Windows Server, Sun Solaris SPARC®, IBM® AIX®,Red Hat®,SUSE®
Application Server
Any Application Server
IBM WebSphere®, Oracle® WebLogic, JBoss®
Operating System (Client)
Windows, Mac OS , Linux
Windows, Mac OS , Linux
Supported File Types
PDF, Excel, Word (Powerpoint Q1 2015)
PDF, Excel, Word, Powerpoint and CAD files
Supported Devices
Desktop and Mobile OS (iOS**, Android**)
Desktop and Mobile OS (iOS, Android, Blackberry and Windows Mobile)
Pricing
Direct Licensing
FileOpen DRM Solutions are available as a hosted solution,  a licensed server, or through individually licensed modules.  View all>>
Available as core functionality within the Adobe Digital Enterprise Platform Standard Edition or as individual components to Government or Financial markets.
Indirect/Partner Licensing
FileOpen DRM is available on a limited basis through these partners.
Available indirectly, as core functionality within the Adobe Digital Enterprise Platform Standard Edition, or as individual components to Government or Financial markets only.
*With respect to Non-FileOpen Products, the information presented is based on publicly available information. We accordingly make no representations with respect to the accuracy or validity of the information, but merely provide it for comparison purposes.
**Beta

If you have anything to add or correct about this analysis, please leave a comment.