Wibu-Systems Expands CodeMeter Portfolio with Licensing-as-a-Service at Hannover Messe 2026

2026-02-26

Wibu-Systems, a global leader in software protection and licensing, will present a strategic expansion of its CodeMeter portfolio at Hannover Messe 2026. With the commercial availability of CodeMeter Licensing-as-a-Service (CmLaaS), the company introduces a new, simplified path into professional license management designed for software vendors who need to move fast today without limiting their options tomorrow.

Hannover Messe remains the world’s leading industrial platform where software-driven innovation meets operational reality. At Booth C75 in Hall 26, Wibu-Systems will demonstrate how CmLaaS complements its established licensing and protection technologies, enabling companies to align time-to-market pressure, business model flexibility, and long-term security within a single, coherent framework.

Lowering the Entry Barrier Without Lowering the Standard

Software monetization has become a strategic discipline. Subscription models, feature-based offerings, and hybrid deployments are now expected across industries, yet many software vendors still face a fundamental dilemma: professional licensing systems promise flexibility and control, but often require upfront effort, specialized know-how, and long implementation cycles.

CmLaaS directly addresses this gap. It provides preconfigured, industry-proven licensing models that can be activated quickly and adapted as business requirements evolve. Vendors can start with commonly used models, such as perpetual, subscription, floating, or trial licenses, and refine them over time, without rebuilding their licensing infrastructure from scratch.

At the same time, CmLaaS is not a detached lightweight solution. It is fully embedded in the CodeMeter ecosystem, using the same backend processes, security concepts, and license container technologies that Wibu-Systems’ enterprise customers have relied on for years. This ensures that a fast start does not come at the cost of architectural consistency or future scalability.

One Portfolio, Multiple Paths

With CmLaaS, Wibu-Systems deliberately broadens the CodeMeter portfolio to reflect the realities of today’s software markets. Some vendors require maximum customization from day one; others prioritize speed and simplicity. Many start small and scale rapidly.

The expanded portfolio supports all these paths. Vendors can choose a move-in-ready licensing setup via CmLaaS or design fully customized models using CodeMeter License Central and CodeMeter License Portal, on-premises or hosted. Both approaches are interoperable and aligned, allowing companies to transition seamlessly as their products, customer base, or regional footprint grows.

This strategic flexibility is particularly relevant in globally distributed markets, where infrastructure maturity, purchasing behavior, and deployment constraints vary widely. Rather than enforcing a one-size-fits-all approach, Wibu-Systems enables vendors to adapt their licensing strategy to different market conditions while maintaining a unified technological backbone.

Protection Remains a Cornerstone

Licensing is only one side of sustainable software monetization. Protecting intellectual property against reverse engineering, tampering, and unauthorized use remains essential, especially as software is increasingly deployed across heterogeneous environments.

Wibu-Systems therefore positions AxProtector as the natural complement to CmLaaS. The AxProtector product line continues to provide robust application protection for native and managed code, supporting a wide range of platforms and programming languages. Recently enhanced with a modernized user interface and further automation, AxProtector lowers adoption barriers while preserving the depth and strength of its protection mechanisms.

By combining CmLaaS with AxProtector, software vendors can address monetization and protection as two coordinated aspects of a single strategy, rather than as isolated technical tasks.

“Licensing-as-a-Service is about making it as easy as possible for software vendors to enter the world of protection and monetization,” says Stefan Bamberg, Director Sales and Key Account Management at Wibu-Systems. “It provides a clear path for expanding, differentiating, and optimizing business models over time, while still addressing the pressure to deliver quickly. CmLaaS lowers the entry barrier without compromising the strategic flexibility that makes CodeMeter a long-term platform.”

Hannover Messe 2026: From Strategy to Practice

At Hannover Messe 2026, Wibu-Systems will demonstrate how this expanded portfolio translates into real-world workflows, from initial license setup to secure deployment, renewal, and evolution over time. Visitors to Booth C75 will gain insight into how CmLaaS and AxProtector work together within the CodeMeter ecosystem to support sustainable software businesses across industries.

By positioning CmLaaS as a strategic portfolio expansion rather than a standalone shortcut, Wibu-Systems reinforces its long-standing commitment: enabling software-driven innovation to scale securely, profitably, and globally.