When Microsoft finally closed the door on its previous licensing structure and opened another on a new pricing scheme earlier this month, the move represented a significant change in how Microsoft sells and upgrades software. It was, perhaps, the most significant business model change the company has initiated in the past five years. Traditionally, companies paid a one-time licensing fee for the right to run multiple copies of software on company computers. According to Microsoft's new structure, businesses now must pay regular installments in exchange for the privilege of regularly upgrading their applications.
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