Liquid Machines

Liquid Machines, Inc. operated as a provider of Enterprise Rights Management (ERM) solutions, focusing on preventing the misuse, modification, loss, or theft of intellectual property and sensitive corporate information. The company was founded in 2001 by individuals with leadership backgrounds in content management and security. They aimed to create a data protection system that was both powerful and unobtrusive to the end-user, seamlessly integrating into existing enterprise infrastructures.

The company's core business involved developing software that attached persistent usage policies directly to data. This approach ensured that information remained protected whether it was at rest, in transit, or in use. The technology, which included the patented Policy Droplet™ control interface, allowed organizations to define and enforce who could access, use, and distribute documents and emails. This control extended across various enterprise systems like content management, archiving, and e-Discovery tools, without altering the native user experience in applications. Liquid Machines provided solutions for document and email control, catering to global companies in highly regulated sectors such as financial services, consulting, manufacturing, government, and healthcare. The business model centered on helping these enterprises comply with regulations like HIPAA, Sarbanes-Oxley, and ITAR by securing sensitive data throughout its lifecycle.

A significant milestone in the company's history was its acquisition of Omniva Policy Systems in 2004, which enhanced its capabilities in secure email technology. Michael Ruffolo served as the president and CEO following this acquisition. The company's trajectory culminated in its acquisition by Check Point Software Technologies in June 2010. This acquisition was a strategic move by Check Point to broaden its data security portfolio, integrating Liquid Machines' document encryption and rights management technology into its product suite. At the time of the acquisition, Liquid Machines held 12 issued and pending patents for its technology.

Keywords: Enterprise Rights Management, data security, information protection, intellectual property security, document control, email control, policy enforcement, data loss prevention, access control, usage control, Check Point acquisition, corporate compliance, Sarbanes-Oxley, HIPAA, ITAR, Michael Ruffolo, data encryption, persistent protection, content security, secure collaboration