Patent ID: 7707646

Claim:
A method for activating non-licensed software modules among a plurality of software modules resident in a computer-controlled switching device within a communications network, comprising: providing a switching device including a system database comprising a storage device; installing a license database in the switching device, the license database including both one or more non-licensed software modules and licensed software modules and license information, the license information resident in the switching device pertaining to each of the software modules; connecting a computer-readable data carrier to the switching device and initiating an interaction between the license database and the computer-readable data carrier with a cryptographic algorithm to determine whether the storage device and the computer-readable data carrier each include matching hardware identification information; next transmitting determined matching hardware identification information and license information pertaining to at least one software module over communication link from the switching device to a license manager, the license manager then determining whether license authorization exists for the switching device to use the at least one software module; the license manager then generating a license confirmation via license reference database having licenses for software modules purchased for the switching device; and sending the license confirmation to the switching device thereby permitting use of the software module, wherein the license manage is remotely located from the switching device.