This is a perfect example of what not to do with your licensing solution.

While testing some new software we bought, we got the above dialog after the installation process was “completed successfully”.

Does this software vendor actually expect end users to go to their license vendor for assistance in getting their software installed?!?

This kind of dialog box showing up is exactly what your customers absolutely fear! Here are a few examples of first thoughts when a customer sees a dialog like this:

•“Ahhhh…… @&#^!”
•“Great! My computer is now screwed up thanks to this ‘demo’ application!”
•“This looks like I will have to spend an 1/2/3/4/5 hours getting this resolved! Maybe I will be lucky and salvage my computer by just ‘uninstalling’ it… Better not mess with this now… I have better things to do…”
•…insert your own frustration here…

And for the more savvy computer users:
•Thank god I was smart enough to load this demo on wife’s computer first!!!

Regardless of how slick your web site is, how nice your sales people are or how creative your advertising is, a customer’s first true impression of you company occurs when they try to install, and license, your software for the first time. It is at that critical point when your relationship with the customer is defined and remembered.

It is also the point when a customer realizes what their options are for copying (stealing) your software to other computers – so co-workers, friends, family members, etc. can enjoy your intellectual property also…

If the licensing process is efficient, painless, does not really indicate what it is doing, and a customer has nothing in hand (e.g. key code) to be tempted by, customers will only have time to focus on the important things, evaluating your software and then buying it!