It is not new that, although Microsoft is all about cloud licensing, it continues to roll out perpetual, non-subscription licenses. These include Office LTSC. Not long ago, some Office 2016 and 2019 users got confused, as it seemed that Microsoft had cut off their access to Microsoft 365 back-end services, starting 2023 (two years before the official exit support date).
However, this was nothing more than a misunderstanding. Microsoft is not going to block Office 2016 and 2019 customers from connecting to Microsoft 365 back-end services after October 2023. Nevertheless, they have warned that users with these versions might experience some issues when connecting to the back-end services after that date.
As mentioned in some of our previous articles, Office 2013 support ends on April 11th, 2023. On the other hand, Office 2016 and 2019 support ends until October 14th, 2025.
*Note: This date is for the end of extended support. Mainstream support for Office 2016 and 2019 ended in October 2020.
The official Microsoft statement:
As Microsoft makes updates to Exchange Online, SharePoint Online, and other Microsoft 365 services, they will not be building around the constraints in older perpetual Office clients that are already out of mainstream support.
Customers will not be blocked in connecting; however, they might not get the full value of new investments in Microsoft’s cloud services. Also, they may run into unexpected issues after October 2025.
Keep making the most out of your IT investment and taking full advantage of the newest additions Microsoft makes to the cloud services. Reach out to one of our experts today, so we can help you transition to the newest version of Office: Office LTSC 2021 or to transition you to the cloud with Microsoft 365 or Office 365 subscriptions.
