More And Better Rights Management

Few security topics have gotten more attention this year than rights management. Adobe Systems is paying attention, too, releasing a new version of its LiveCycle Policy Server enterprise rights management software last week and introducing Document Center, a hosted service that does the same thing as LiveCycle, sans the investment in infrastructure.

Version 7.2 of Policy Server gives users control over Adobe PDF files and those created using Microsoft Word and Excel, as well as CAD drawings using Dassault Systèmes' Catia V5 software. Users can track where their documents are routed and even the number of times they're printed. If something's amiss, they can block access to the documents using encryption, since they're viewed through a Web browser.

Adobe's approach sets it apart, says Scott Crawford, an analyst with Enterprise Management Associates: "The protection moves with the document itself."

Cool stuff, though Adobe is extending itself straight into Microsoft territory. Microsoft is looking for a larger piece of the rights management market with Vista's Rights Management Services. Likewise, EMC has been eyeing rights management revenue with a couple of Documentum products it introduced in August.