Microsoft Home Use Program

I've recently discovered through work that Microsoft offers a Home Use Program (HUP) for some of its software products. The HUP offers the employees of Microsoft Volume Licensing Software Assurance customers the opportunity to purchase a licensed copy of the Microsoft product for a flat price of $20. That's 20 NZD for New Zealand users, and covers the postage and handling fees.

I don't normally pay for software I use. However, considering it's only 20 NZD, I thought I might as well get one. I purchased a copy of Microsoft Office Enterprise 2007. I had always been meaning to give Office 2007 a try. It took Microsoft approximately two weeks to process the order and ship the DVD from Singapore.

As with most things Microsoft, there is a catch. The HUP license is intimately tied to your employment and your employer's Software Assurance coverage. The license ends:

1. when your employer's coverage ends;
   
2. upon termination of your employment;
3. if you are no longer a user of the licensed software at work; or
4. if you install and use any other version of the software under the HUP.
   

Even so, I still think it's worth it. At the very least, it saves me the hassle of finding a copy of Microsoft Office elsewhere.

If you work for an organisation that uses Microsoft products, it may be worthwhile checking with your IT department to see if you're eligible to participate in the HUP.