Review: SealedMedia E-DRM

For: Easy to use and deploy.
Against: Encrypts only, pricey for mid-sized and smaller companies.
Verdict: If you're buying for a large company this product is worth looking at. However, it lacks some features and works out expensive for smaller organisations.

The Sealed Media E-DRM is largely an encryption product. Users access documents through the management website, either directly or through a firewall. The user creates a file using any of 14 supported formats and "seals" it using the desktop software before sending it to the recipient.

The recipient needs unsealer software to open the file, at which stage the license server unseals the document and enforces the rights assigned by the user. It also communicates an audit log to the user who may revoke rights at any time.

We found the product simple to install. The desktop integrates directly with Microsoft Office applications, Adobe Acrobat and Lotus Notes. The desktop software can be downloaded for free from the company's website.

We found the document sealed rapidly and easily using the desktop sealer. Recipients need proper authentication before being allowed to unseal or gain access to sealed documents. We were unable to compromise the sealed document, and when rights to the document were revoked, the document became unavailable as expected.

The documentation is easy to follow and includes a short installation guide for the desktop installer. SealedMedia has local telephone support, in the US and UK, for normal and extended office hours, and also 24/7 out-of-hours support.

For large companies, the price is reasonable for what's included. However, for smaller businesses it may not represent value for money unless the organisation has very sensitive documents to manage

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