Final answer:
No, Contoso Pharmaceuticals does not need a product key for activating Visual Studio Cloud Subscriptions. The subscription is accessed through the account associated with it, providing centralized billing and management without a product key.
Step-by-step explanation:
If Contoso Pharmaceuticals have acquired Visual Studio Cloud Subscriptions for their developers, a product key is not required for activation. The Visual Studio Cloud Subscriptions, previously known as MSDN Subscriptions, provide a range of services for development teams, including access to Visual Studio, Azure, and other Microsoft services.
When a developer or any team member is assigned a Visual Studio Cloud Subscription, they can activate their subscription by signing in with the Microsoft account associated with their subscription. There's no need for a product key as the subscription is linked to their account, which simplifies the process of maintaining and managing development tools and environments.
The main advantage is the convenience of centralized billing and management, which can be especially useful for enterprise environments like Contoso Pharmaceuticals that need to maintain control over software licenses and resources.