Microsoft pulls the plug on software pirates. Bloomberg Bootcamp, a report on today's technology. How many people do you know who have purchased a copy of Microsoft Windows and installed it on more than one PC? With the release of Windows XP this fall, Microsoft is saying no more. The company tells us it plans to use the same activation code security system that it launched with Office XP in the new version of Windows. In order for the software to work, once installed, users will have to obtain an activation code either online or via telephone. That gives Microsoft the ability to prevent copies from being used on more than one computer. Group product manager Shawn Sanford confirms the decision. At this point, he says, Microsoft still plans to tie its messaging technology into the OS as well... .

"Windows Messenger technology is all about taking communications to the next level. I think there's a recent survey where 120 million people are using text messaging. But now we want to create options for the users. So what if they want to have PC to PC voice communication... or video... or if they, in the work environment, want to share applications or collaborate on things... ..we want to want to create all of those technologies in a simple, easy to use manner."

Most of the technologies are available now... what Microsoft is doing in putting them under one umbrella... that users will log onto with Microsoft's Passport identification system. The target is clearly AOL's popular instant messenger and the AOL owned ICQ messenger. Bloomberg Bootcamp, I'm Fred Fishkin.