Yes the Wibu/Codemeter dongle is a piece of hardware that supports software, as is a mouse, a graphics card, a sound card, a HDD or a joystick.
It differs in that its only function is DRM, but there is no requirement to purchase 'one with each game' any more than the other listed hardware. It also is no harder to install than any of these.
As it is supplied by a company (Wibu) the support issues regarding configuration etc that do fall slightly outside the normal routine can be dealt with by the Wibu people, in the same way that support issues for the other hardware are dealt with in the final instance by the manufacturer (or the chipset manufacturer).
SBP may be a relatively niche product, but the Wibu devices have not been successfully cracked although there have been a number of hacking competitions organised (officially) to do just that - lessons learnt from these have been used by Wibu to enhance the encryption/protection schemes. This is far better than any of the other DRM solutions that only delay cracking, or can be bypassed trivially.
Strengths:
Licensing can be flexible and open (it need not be but it can), SBP allows installation on any machine you like, and as many users as there are primary + secondary licenses can link to the single codemeter device and play. There is no activation/deactivation dance, no phoning home, no unavailability due to server overload/outage.
The DRM is transparent while working - there is no restriction on optical devices, copying softwares, no noticeable system load during operation.
The DRM can be used for online sales, just exchange a small codemeter control file which when returned contains the new licenses, and the protected software can be easily distributed, even by anonymous download without additional risk of losses.
One USB stick can handle many licenses, using different licensing models per product, and products from many vendors.
Downsides:
It will cost the end user (or possibly a forward thinking developer/publisher) about $15 to $40 to obtain one, less for larger orders (i.e. central purchasing and distribution) more if you purchase one without promotions and as standalone hardware.
It takes up one USB slot - but is quite happy on a Hub or extension, which is more than I can say for my external USB HDD.
This isn't one of those ridiculous Autodesk dongles that clutter up the back of many machines, that are single vendor, single product and don't offer any real protection for the software. I've seen those, and they *would* be a royal pain in the bum.
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