For anyone still running Office 2010, this is an important reminder. As of October 13, 2020, Microsoft will no longer support Office 2010. End of support means no more technical support, but more importantly, it means no further security updates for new vulnerabilities that are discovered. This includes security updates which can help protect your PC from harmful viruses, spyware, and other malicious software.
Microsoft have advised that this deadline will not be extended.
Implications
Though all of your Office 2010 apps will still function, exposure to potentially damaging security risks should be of concern. Furthermore, if you have any security expectations or requirements from customers, cyber liability insurance providers or government bodies, this exposure could have further implications.
Options
When replacing of your Office 2010 licenses you have a couple of options:
1. Purchase new perpetual Office 2019 licenses. This is the most current perpetual license version available today and comes in 3 types for business: Home & Business, Standard and Professional. This is a one-time purchase and you can use Office 2019 applications for as long as you like, but likely only until Microsoft support ends and/or you encounter compatibility issues with other software in later years.
2. Purchase a Microsoft 365 (formerly called Office 365) subscription which includes the Office suite. This is paid for monthly or annually to maintain your subscription. There is no need to ever purchase a newer version of Office in this case, since Microsoft provides automatic updates to your Office suite as they become available.
Important Notes
If you are going to install Office 2019, your local PC operating system needs to be Windows 10. Windows 7 is not compatible with Office 2019, and in any case, is no longer a supported operating system.
Microsoft prefers that customers purchase Office through the subscription model and will likely stop introducing new versions of perpetual licenses at some point.
BSC Solutions Group offers both perpetual and Microsoft 365 subscription licenses. Call us today to help plan your migration to a current option.
