Microsoft has announced the next perpetual edition of Microsoft Office, Office 2019. In keeping with Microsoft tradition, it will arrive in the middle of preceding year rather than the year of its name.
In breaking with tradition, Office 2019 will only run on devices using Windows 10 and not on older editions of Windows, namely Windows 7 or Windows 8.1.
Microsoft have also advised they will release Office 2019 with five years of mainstream support and approximately two years of extended support to align with the current version of Microsoft Office (Office 2016) which is expected to end on 14 October 2025. For more information, please see the Microsoft TechNet article.
While this seems harsh, we often still see computers running versions of Windows and Office well past their use by date. By the end of this year, Office 2007 will be nearly 12 years old, and Office 2010 not much younger. We strongly suggest that now is the time consider upgrading to Office 2013 or 2016, or transition to Microsoft Office 365.
It looks like the subscription model is becoming the increased focus from Microsoft, and purchasing Office 365 will be the way going forward to continue to keep getting the latest features. We expect Office 2019 will likely be the last version that Microsoft release, with future releases all being subscription-only.
CyberGuru is able to provide consulting, support and training in Microsoft Office applications, and able to support you in the transition from one version to another. If we can assist in any way, please contact us.