Microsoft Support Changes

Microsoft Support Changes

Microsoft plans to make changes so that only the current version of Office, Windows, and Server licensing is supported. This means that changes for organizations will occur for those that are not up to date on the latest versions of their Microsoft products. Keep reading here for more information on the upcoming changes.

Product Line End Dates for Office 365

Windows 7 support ends in January of 2020 and with that comes the release of deadlines on Office being supported on other versions of Microsoft’s operating systems.

On January 14, 2020, Microsoft will stop supporting Office ProPlus on Windows Server 2012 and 2012 R2 as well as Windows 10 Long-Term Servicing Channel (LTSC/LTSB) release. Microsoft will still support Windows 10 Enterprise, Education, Pro, and Home.

In January of 2023, Microsoft will discontinue the support of Office ProPlus on Windows 8.1. Windows 8.1’s mainstream support ended January 1, 2018.

In January of 2025, Microsoft will discontinue the support of Office ProPlus on Windows Server 2016. Windows Server 2016 mainstream support will end on January 11, 2022.

Office 365 Changes to System Requirements

Starting October 13, 2020, Office 365 services will require that your Microsoft Office on your computer is the version in mainstream support. After October 13, 2020, only Office ProPlus (downloaded from the Office 365 subscription) and Office ProPlus 2019 will be supported with the Office 365 subscription.

What does this mean for you? Microsoft will not support any issues involving connections from your computer Office (2016, 2013, 2010, etc.) to Office 365 services (e-mail). For the best experience with Office 365 services and Office on your desktop, you will need to upgrade to Office 365 ProPlus or Office perpetual licensing (Volume Licensing). Microsoft will reserve the right to stop the connection of non-mainstream supported versions of Office to connect to Office 365 services after October 13, 2020.

With every new release or update to Office comes an 18-month deadline.

Mainstream Support End Date vs. Extended Support End Date

Mainstream Support End Date is the last day that Microsoft will assist with issues at no cost. These issues include incident support, security update support and the ability to request non-security hotfixes. This will also allow for feature changes and security patches via updates.

Extended Support End Date is after the Mainstream Support End Date. This level of support will require paid support packages and you will only receive security updates. This means you will not receive feature updates, design changes, or warranty support during this time period.

After the Extended Support End Date, you will not receive support or security updates.

Windows 10 support timelines

With the mainstreaming of support for Office products come the deadlines for support on Windows 10 releases.

Microsoft will support Windows 10 Home and Windows 10 Pro 18 months past the release date of the feature release. Windows 10 (Home/Pro) version 1809 release date was on November 11, 2018, and support will end May 12, 2020. Windows 10 (Home/Pro) version 1903 release date was on May 21, 2019, and will end on December 8, 2020. The chart below shows the support deadlines.

Bottom-line

Microsoft wants to ensure that you are always on the latest version of all of it’s products. If you have the versions below you should upgrade to the newest version as soon as possible.

• Office 2016, 2013, 2010, 2007, or older
• Windows 7, 8, or 8.1
• Windows Server 2008, 2008 R2, 2012, or 2012 R2

Contact us!

Beringer Technology Group is always here to provide expert knowledge in topics like these. Please reach out to us for assistance in making the change to the latest software and operating systems.

Beringer Technology Group, a leading Microsoft Gold Certified Partner specializing in Microsoft Dynamics 365 and CRM for Distribution. We also provide expert Managed IT Services, Backup and Disaster Recovery, Cloud Based Computing and Unified Communication Solutions. Please check out our comprehensive list of the Services and Solutions that we provide.