The release of Microsoft Corp.'s Office XP application suite and its forthcoming Windows XP operating system has generated a buzz of controversy because of the antipiracy activation procedure the company has implemented.
To limit the illegal installation of Microsoft software on more than one machine, the company has chosen to limit the number of times and the conditions under which a specific software unit can be activated.
What's activation? The user installs one of these products in the usual way, including typing in a 25-character unlock code. Thereafter, each time he runs the program, it asks to be activated via Ethernet or telephone. When the user connects with a Microsoft activation server, the program takes a snapshot of his computer's physical hardware - including CPU speed, hard drive size and optical drive identifier - and sends it to the server, which uses the data to generate an activation code and download it to the program. If the user chooses to activate by telephone, the process takes about five minutes; he will end up with a long code to type into the program.
If the user fails to activate the software within a certain time period or number of program uses, it will shut down much of its normal functionality.
Recent Computerworld reviews of Windows XP and Office XP have discussed activation in rather negative terms, as a feature that benefits Microsoft rather than the users. But in the past few weeks, the company has made changes and clarifications to its activation policy.
Computerworld talked with David Jaffe, Microsoft's product manager for product activation, to set the record straight.
First, activation isn't new, he said. In the U.S., it was introduced with Service Pack 1 for Office 2000. And it has been used in other geographical areas, such as Brazil, for the entire life span of Office 2000.
Early reviewers and beta testers have expressed concern that this process could cause problems for legitimate users, particularly those who upgrade their computers or have to reinstall products after a system crash that necessitates new hardware components.
Jaffe said a user who reinstalls either Windows XP or Office XP after making minor hardware changes might not have to activate the software, because it would automatically be activated with the previous code. "If you're doing a ton of reconfiguration, then you might have to call, but it will work OK for most people," he said.
If a user has used up his quota of activations, then he must phone a special activation-only call center and explain the situation. "Our goal is to make sure that legitimate customers can use the product," said Jaffe. "In almost no instance will a real customer be denied."
Finally, it's important to note that activation applies only to packages bought via retail channels. Any organization buying a multiuser license - even for as few as two users - won't need to go through the activation process. Also, computers that come with Windows XP or Office XP preinstalled won't need to be activated. So activation should be a nonissue for most IT managers, systems integrators and consultants.