Microsoft shuts down Office Genuine Advantage

[FSOwner]

Microsoft's Office Genuine Advantage (OGA) program is no more. OGA was used by Microsoft to validate Microsoft Office to permit downloads of non-critical updates and add-ons. Ed Bott reports that Microsoft quietly retired the service late last week with little notice. Microsoft mentioned the retirement on December 17, 2010 in KB Article 917999:

• The Office Genuine Advantage (“OGA”) program has been retired. For more information about the benefits of genuine Office, please visit the following website: Benefits of genuine Office
  
  

Although OGA has been shut down, this does not affect Windows and Office activation and Windows Genuine Advantage is still required for the validation of many downloads from the Microsoft Download Center.

News Source:
Ed Bott's Microsoft Report