Optimizing amount of data passed during software license activation

A method for optimizing an amount of data passed during a software activation process, the method comprising:

• providing, to a processing device, an indication of one of a plurality of communication methods intended for use in communicating with an activation authority apparatus, the one of the plurality of communication methods being either a telephone or a facsimile communication;
• determining, by the processing device, a length of a license key associated with a software application, the length being based on the indicated one of the plurality of communication methods;
• providing the license key and binding information, separate from the license key, to the activation authority apparatus to associate the processing device with a software license corresponding to the license key, the license key and the binding information being provided via the indicated one of the plurality of communication methods, the binding information indicating at least one characteristic of the processing device;
• and
• receiving, by the processing device after the providing the license key and binding information, an activation code provided by the activation authority apparatus for activating the software application on the processing device, wherein:
• when the indication of the one of the plurality of communication methods for use in communicating with the activation authority apparatus indicates the telephone as the one of the plurality of communication methods, the method further comprises:
• calling a specific phone number to a second processing device that answers a call to the specific phone number, and
• providing the license key and the binding information to the second processing device, the license key and the binding information being input by a user via a keypad of the telephone or as speech input via the telephone, the second processing device being arranged to receive the license key and the binding information and provide the license key and the binding information to the activation authority apparatus;
• and
• when the indication of the one of the plurality of communication methods for use in communicating with the activation authority apparatus indicates the facsimile communication as the one of the plurality of communication methods, the method further comprises
• providing, to a third processing device, the license key and the binding information via the facsimile communication, the third processing device being arranged to convert the license key and the binding information to text and send the license key and the binding information to the activation authority apparatus via a network.