At the beginning of August 2020, Microsoft introduced changes to the MAR channel aimed at resigning from traditional certificates of authenticity in favor of digital licenses. Digital licenses require some implementation and soon I will describe exactly how such a process will work.

Currently, only Office 2019 H&S Citizenship licenses are available as COA stickers with product key printed on them. Licenses for operating systems are available as DPK (Digital Product Key) only.

The procedure for implementing electronic license support is as follows:

We set up a computer with a SQL Server database (license server) where product keys, reports and information about allocated licenses will be stored. A special MDOS Smart Client application will handle the database and incoming license installation requests.
Computers on which the license will be installed must be running in audit mode and connected to the same network as the license server.
The license installation software will run from the Flashdrive and, after successful connection, the product key will be installed into the system registry.
Keys will not be active (activation will not be possible) until a Computer Build Report (CBR) is sent. CBRs are sent through MDOS SC at the end of the day, after downloading the files from the Flashdrive media used for installation.
Only after sending the installation report will a given copy of the system be able to activate.

Our system pre-installation environment (XDE – eXpress Deployment Environment) ensures the automation of all processes, from booting, through installation of systems and licenses, to reporting. More details about our solution can be found at the following link:

XDE – short list of features – Website for MAR partners | Active IT (active-it.pl)

Installing a new electronic license should include sticking the GMRL (Genuine Microsoft Refurbisher Label) label on the device. Labels can be ordered independently of the licenses themselves, details in the price list.

Although it is more complicated than sticking and reporting a traditional license, after implementation it can bring a number of benefits:
– no risk of scratching and damaging the product key by the customer
– the ability to read the product key for a given computer (searching for example by serial number)
– no possibility of tampering with by the customer and multiple activation attempts
– activation takes place automatically after connecting to the Internet without the customer’s participation

More information on the topic of digital licenses will appear in the tab Digital MAR – Website for MAR partners | Active IT (active-it.pl)