{{Short description|Software license manager}} {{Redirect|FlexNet|the Digital Research networking product for FlexOS|FlexNet (Novell)}} {{More citations needed|date=January 2017}} {{Infobox software | name = FlexNet Publisher | screenshot = | caption = | collapsible = | author = GLOBEtrotter and Highland | developer = Flexera Software | released = {{Start date and age|1988}} | latest release version = 2026 R1 SP1 (11.19.10.0) | latest release date = {{Start date and age|2026|03|30}}<ref>{{cite web|title=FlexNet Publisher End-of-Life Policy and Notices - Revenera|url=https://docs.revenera.com/eol/flexnet-publisher.html|website=Revenera|accessdate=2026-04-23}}</ref> | latest preview version = | latest preview date = | programming language = C/C++, Java | operating system = Windows, macOS, Linux, and various UNIXes | platform = Cross-platform | size = | language = English | genre = Software license management | license = Proprietary }} '''FlexNet Publisher''' (formerly known as FLEXlm) is a software license manager from Flexera Software which implements license management and is intended to be used in corporate environments to provide floating licenses to multiple end users of computer software.{{Citation needed|date=January 2017}}
Computer software can be licensed in a variety of ways. A license to use a piece of software may be associated with a specific machine (''node-locked''), permitting it to only run on that machine (node in a network); alternatively, a company may buy a pool of ''floating'' licenses and these licenses may be allocated dynamically to machines, a license being ''checked-out'' when a user begins using the software on any given machine and ''checked-in'' when the user finishes using the software. In this way, for example, a company might buy a pool of 50 licenses but support a user community of hundreds of occasional users of the software (so long as no more than 50 users ever want to use the software simultaneously).{{Original research inline|date=January 2017}}
==History==
FLEXlm was originally a joint development by GLOBEtrotter Software and Highland Software in 1988. Highland Software's Scott Holmgren and Robert Hartman, partnered in rolling out this new method for software licensing in Silicon Valley, California. With Hartman's role as VP of Sales and Business Development, sales efforts quickly gained traction and early adoption for pioneering this software method to embed FLEXlm software into several hundred of Silicon Valley's leading software company's products including, Sun Systems, Symantec, and Reed Hastings and Tom Siebel's early software tech companies. FLEXLm quickly became recognized as the software industry's de facto standard globally for license manager software. Subsequently, Highland's rights to the FLEXlm product were acquired by GLOBEtrotter in 1994; Highland continued as a reseller of 3rd party software. GLOBEtrotter was then acquired by Macrovision in 2000. Combining features from the Safecast protection system and FLEXlm, FlexNet featured product activation and executable wrapping, supporting floating licensing and node locked licensing models. Macrovision subsequently renamed FLEXlm to FLEXnet Publisher.{{Citation needed|date=January 2017}}
The original FLEXlm development team moved on to develop the Reprise License Manager (RLM) at Reprise Software in 2006.{{Citation needed|date=January 2017}}
On 1 April 2008 Macrovision's Software Business Unit, which included FLEXnet Publisher, was sold to the private equity company Thoma Cressey Bravo and subsequently relaunched as Acresso Software. It was a cash transaction valued at approximately $200 million.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.flexerasoftware.com/company/newscenter/pressreleases/press-releases_8572.htm|title=Acresso Software Press Release|publisher=Flexerasoftware.com|accessdate=27 October 2014|archive-date=2 June 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130602033702/http://www.flexerasoftware.com/company/newscenter/pressreleases/press-releases_8572.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref>
In October 2009 Acresso Software announced its name change to Flexera Software and FLEXnet Publisher was changed to FlexNet Publisher.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9139211/Acresso_who_Macrovision_spinoff_changes_name_again?taxonomyId=1|title=Acresso who? Macrovision spinoff changes name, again (Computerworld article)|author=Eric Lai|date=10 October 2009|work=Computerworld|accessdate=27 October 2014|archive-date=5 June 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130605150936/http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9139211/Acresso_who_Macrovision_spinoff_changes_name_again?taxonomyId=1|url-status=dead}}</ref>
A July 2011 announcement said that Teachers' Private Capital, the private investment department of the Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan, had agreed to acquire a majority stake in Flexera Software from Thoma Bravo, LLC, a private equity firm.<ref>{{cite web|url-status=dead|url=http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/teachers-private-capital-to-acquire-majority-stake-in-flexera-software-1539798.htm|title=Teachers' Private Capital to Acquire Majority Stake in Flexera Software|work=Marketwire|accessdate=27 October 2014|archive-date=2 October 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121002182844/http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/teachers-private-capital-to-acquire-majority-stake-in-flexera-software-1539798.htm}}</ref>
In 2020, Flexera Software rebranded its supplier division as Revenera,<ref>[https://www.revenera.com/more/flexera-software-becomes-revenera Flexera Software's Supplier Division is now Revenera]. ''revenera.com''. Retrieved 2025-10-03</ref> which currently markets the product as FlexNet Publisher.<ref>[https://www.revenera.com/software-monetization/glossary/flexlm-software FlexLM (Flexible License Manager) is now FlexNet Publisher]. ''revenera.com''. Retrieved 2025-10-03</ref>
==Issues with bootloaders== Due to the way the digital rights management (DRM) works in FlexNet Publisher, FlexNet affects bootloaders; this makes FlexNet Publisher incompatible with drives encrypted with TrueCrypt<ref>{{cite web|url=http://kb2.adobe.com/cps/403/kb403210.html|title=Freeze when you reboot a Windows system that has TrueCrypt Disk Encryption software and Adobe applications installed|publisher=Kb2.adobe.com|accessdate=27 October 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.truecrypt.org/docs/incompatibilities |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130416014149/http://www.truecrypt.org/docs/incompatibilities |url-status=dead |archive-date=16 April 2013 |title=TrueCrypt |publisher=Kb2.adobe.com |accessdate=27 October 2014 }}</ref> and renders Linux-based systems unable to boot.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/ucgi/~cjwatson/blosxom/debian/2010-08-28-windows-applications-making-grub2-unbootable.html|title=Colin Watson|date=28 August 2010 |publisher=chiark.greenend.org.uk|accessdate=27 October 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/grub2/+bug/441941|title=Bug #441941 "grub fails after running Windows" : Bugs : "grub2" package : Ubuntu|date=4 October 2009 |publisher=Bugs.launchpad.net|accessdate=27 October 2014}}</ref> The TrueCrypt developers also state that "the issue is caused by inappropriate design of the third-party activation software."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.truecrypt.org/docs/incompatibilities |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130416014149/http://www.truecrypt.org/docs/incompatibilities |url-status=dead |archive-date=16 April 2013 |title=TrueCrypt |publisher=Truecrypt.org |accessdate=27 October 2014 }}</ref>
==Other license management software== * [https://www.10duke.com/ 10Duke] * [https://licensespring.com LicenseSpring] * IBM LUM * LM-X License Manager * [https://www.openlm.com/ OpenLM] * [https://paceap.com PACE Anti-Piracy] * Reprise License Manager ''(RLM)'' * Wibu-Systems * Windows Genuine Advantage
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== *{{official website}}
Category:System administration Category:Software licensing Category:Copy protection