Microsoft ends Office lovers' employee discount program

Time to move on

Microsoft is ending a discount licensing program that has proven to be hugely popular among companies' employees wanting cheap copies of Office.

The company said its software Employee Purchase Program (EPP) will wrap up in November after seven years. EPP has been available to customers buying Microsoft's products under its volume licensing programs.

Microsoft cited declining customer demand for is decision to kill EPP, but noted the vast majority — 90 per cent — of licenses purchased were for its Office suite.

Instead, Microsoft is pushing people towards its Home Use Program, which delivers Office over the web through a download at a price of around $10 per employee — in local currency. HUP has been expanded to include the latest version of Office: Office 2010, Professional Plus.

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