14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft has found a new and very unique way to convince people currently running pirated software to make the switch to a legitimate license: entice them with major discounts.
As discovered recently by GHacks, users who are running pirated versions of Microsoft Office are now seeing a new banner in the application that highlights a 50 percent price cut for a genuine Microsoft 365 subscription.
In other words, Microsoft hopes that by seeing this message right in the pirated software, users would be more tempted to buy a subscription, especially given the massive discount.
“Get up to 50% off. For a limited time, save up to 50% on a genuine Microsoft 365 subscription,” this message reads.
Limited-time offer
There’s also a “Learn more” link in the message, and it points users to this page where Microsoft highlights the risks of running pirated software.
“It exposes you to virus and malware attacks. It lacks sufficient security measures. This can leave the door open for hackers and might have serious implications for you or your business. It can result in corrupted files and data loss. You might lose important personal files and business data, like customer and accounting information. You might not receive critical security updates or be able to edit your files. This might disrupt or cause your whole business operation to stop,” Microsoft explains.
The 50 percent discount is only available for the first year of an annual subscription, and it can be used for Microsoft 365 Family and Microsoft 365 Personal.
Interestingly, Microsoft hasn’t publicly announced this new strategy to convince users running pirated software to make the switch to genuine applications, so it’ll be interesting to see how many people end up getting a subscription as part of this campaign. The offer is apparently limited, but nobody knows for sure when it’s supposed to come to an end.