Microsoft Ceases Support for Office 2016 and 2019 Today

Microsoft Ceases Support for Office 2016 and 2019 Today

Microsoft Concludes Support for Office 2016 and 2019

As of today, October 14, Microsoft has officially ceased all support for the Office 2016 and 2019 suites, along with their standalone applications and associated servers. This shift marks a significant transition as Microsoft has strategically transitioned away from traditional perpetual licensing models over recent years.

Recommendations for Migration

In light of this development, Microsoft advises customers to upgrade to Microsoft 365 E3, Office 365 E3, or Microsoft 365 Business Standard to ensure continued access to the latest features and support. For those commercial clients who require a version of the productivity suite that does not rely on cloud technology, Microsoft now recommends Office LTSC 2024. This specialized version caters to systems incapable of receiving feature updates or connecting to the internet.

Transitioning from Skype for Business

Organizations currently using Skype for Business 2016 or 2019 should consider migrating to Microsoft Teams for enhanced communication features. However, businesses preferring an on-premises solution can upgrade to the Skype for Business Server Subscription Edition.

Products No Longer Supported

The following products are officially out of support as of October 15, which means they will no longer receive security updates, bug fixes, or any technical assistance:

  • Office Suites: Office 2016, Office 2019
  • Office Applications: Access 2016, Access 2019, Excel 2016, Excel 2019, OneNote 2016, Outlook 2016, Outlook 2019, PowerPoint 2016, PowerPoint 2019, Project 2016, Project 2019, Publisher 2016, Publisher 2019, Skype for Business 2016, Skype for Business 2019, Visio 2016, Visio 2019, Word 2016, Word 2019
  • Productivity Servers: Exchange Server 2016, Exchange Server 2019, Skype for Business Server 2015, Skype for Business Server 2019

Importance of Upgrading

Jeremy Carlson, Product Marketing Manager at Microsoft, emphasized the risks associated with continuing to use unsupported products, stating:

Continuing to use products after their end of support can negatively impact organizational security, compliance, and productivity. Migrations can take time, so we recommend starting your upgrade to supported versions of these products as soon as possible.

Support for Large Organizations

Organizations utilizing over 150 licenses of these now unsupported Microsoft products have access to Microsoft FastTrack for assistance in transitioning to Microsoft 365. This program can facilitate the initial setup process, including the configuration of identity, security protocols, compliance measures, and cloud management.

For more information and resources, please visit the Microsoft Tech Community.

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