Activating an NI Software licence on a computer without internet access works fine but take too long and is user mistake prone because we need to type long strings of characters.
Now we have to :
- go on PC/tablet/smartphone that has internet access
- go to ni.com/activate,
- select the product type,
- select the product version (be carefull to select the version we installed, not the version we recieved*),
- type the serial number,
- type the computer ID,
- then we obtain the activation code that we have to type on the computer.
Bold steps are human-error prone.
If you've done that once from a smartphone, you know how painfull and error prone this process is.
This process should be shorter and much less error prone, something like :
- the PC without internet show a QR-code that contains product type, version needed and computer ID,
- launch the "NI Soft Activation" app on your smartphone
- scan the QR-code
- type the activation code given by the app onto the computer.
Only one human-error prone step in that process.
* : when you purchase a runtime licence from NI you automatically recieve a serial number that can activate the most recent version of the product, but you can use it to activate older versions of the product as well. Say youwant to activate Vision Development Module RTE 2010 but you recieved a serial number valid for up to version 2012, when you go to the ni.com/activate you have to be carefull to select the correct product version (2010 in this case), one more possible human mistake.
), and NI will get tons of technical support phone-calls from the resulting confusion.
