Patent ID: 8074223

Claim:
A method comprising: receiving an activation code at a computer, wherein the activation code identifies a resource at the computer, a quantity of the resource that is available for use by the computer, and a time period for which the quantity of the resource is available for use by the computer, wherein the activation code is stored at the computer; temporarily activating the resource at the computer under a temporary usage plan based on the activation code, wherein a customer pays for use of the resource by the computer under the temporary usage plan; determining whether an amount of usage of the resource by the computer under the temporary usage plan exceeds a threshold; if the amount of the usage of the resource by the computer under the temporary usage plan exceeds the threshold, calculating a quantity of the resource, converting the quantity of the resource from the temporary usage plan to a permanent usage plan, and permanently activating the resource for use by the computer without further charge to the customer; wherein the calculating the quantity is based on an attribute of the computer that uses the resource; and wherein the amount of the usage comprises a time amount that the computer used the resource under the temporary usage plan.