Licensing for Hardware Feature Control
Hardware licensing brings incredible control and new ways to monetize your hardware offerings — deliver differentiated solutions on a common hardware configuration, and upgrade customers instantly, whenever they're ready to pay for more.
The Short Answer
What is hardware feature control?
Feature control lets you manufacture a single hardware configuration and use licensing — not separate hardware — to determine which features a given unit is entitled to use. The hardware itself stays the same; only what the end-user can access changes.
It's what lets you lower manufacturing SKUs while still selling differentiated product tiers — see the full hardware & IoT licensing overview for how it fits with connected services and business models.
Capabilities
Control that goes further than on/off
Beyond simple perpetual licenses — an array of licensing models and controls built for hardware feature differentiation.
Fewer Manufacturing SKUs
Deliver differentiated solutions on a common hardware configuration — the license determines what a unit can do, not a separate build.
Instant, Securable Upgrades
Upgrade end-user devices to product-line SKUs they didn't originally pay for. Up-sells take effect with a reboot or a click, not a return.
Serial-Number Locking
Control which hardware serial numbers are permitted to be operational on a given license.
Device-to-Device Permissions
Dictate which other devices in your product line a given device is allowed to interact with.
Flexible Licensing Models
Perpetual, consumption, date-based, and subscription models — plus time- or consumption-based trials of a higher SKU.
Manufacturing-Line Provisioning
Passive Entitlement Provisioning sets devices up ready-to-work with their initial advertised feature set, right out of the box.
Lifecycle
From manufacturing line to end-user
Zentitle Hardware Licensing fits into the process flow of manufacture through to customer usage.
1. Manufacturing
Passive Entitlement Provisioning sets each device up ready-to-work with its initial advertised feature set, right out of the box — even in environments where internet access is restricted.
2. In the Field
Dynamic Entitlements take over — instant upgrades, and the option to adopt usage-based, subscription, or time-limited models as the customer relationship evolves.
FAQ
Hardware feature control FAQ
Go Deeper
See feature control applied by industry
Consolidate SKUs, unlock more revenue
See how Zentitle turns one hardware configuration into a full product line, controlled entirely by licensing.