Microsoft sent out invites to the press for a big event it's holding on the 30th of September, 2014. The invite's catchphrase reads "join us to hear about what's next for Windows and the enterprise." Speculation is rife about what Microsoft plans to launch on that day. The most plausible theory talks about a possible Windows 2014 launch, the next addition to its enterprise operating system family. A less plausible theory speaks of Windows 9, which is really a client operating system. Microsoft wouldn't specifically mention "enterprise." Windows 2014 could be loaded with features for the next-generation of enterprise environments, which are increasingly leveraging the cloud. It wouldn't surprise us if Microsoft took a big leap in favor of the new breed of ARM + x86 hybrid CPUs, and high-density ARM-based servers.

Microsoft is expected to introduce a radical new software activation system with its next major release of Windows, in a bid to stem piracy. According to BetaNews, citing a Russian source with a reasonably good track-record in leaking stuff out of Redmond, the company is planning to do away with software keys, 16-character alphanumeric passwords unique to each copy of the software, which let you prove the validity of your purchase, and unlock the software. The next Windows will use a system in which having a Microsoft Store account - which isn't necessarily the same as a Microsoft Account - is mandatory, and acquiring machine-specific images of the Windows installation disc from the store.

The way we understand it, it works like this. After paying for your license while logged into the Microsoft Store, you're made to download a generic install disc image. After its installation, your machine's details (usually just motherboard-related details) are logged with Microsoft, and the software stays activated on your machine. When you need to install your OS on another machine, you untie your current machine from your licence online, and install your software on the new machine. The software will stop working on the older machine, ensuring that only one single-user license is running on a machine at a given time. The concept can be suitably adapted for 3-user and 5-user family licenses.