Volume Activation Expands to Office

All customers deploying Office 2010, including those with Volume License Agreements, will have to activate the product. Organizations may be able to use the software protection platform or activation infrastructure introduced with the release of Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008, but as few organizations chose to deploy Windows Vista widely, the necessary activation infrastructure may not yet be in place. Microsoft claims that activation protects customers and partners by reducing illegal copying of its software, but in reality, any reduction in the piracy of these products benefits Microsoft the most, as Windows and Office contribute the lion’s share of its revenues.

Activation’s Goal

Microsoft defines software piracy as “the mislicensing, unauthorized reproduction and illegal distribution of software, whether for business or personal use.” According to Microsoft, illegal copying of its software products in violation of its software license agreements is responsible for its largest economic losses due to piracy.