Office LTSC Archives

Winsage

October 2, 2024

Microsoft Office 2024 now available for Windows and macOS users

Microsoft has released Office 2024, targeting small businesses and consumers who prefer a standalone suite instead of a Microsoft 365 subscription. The suite includes updated versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, and Outlook, compatible with Windows 10, Windows 11, and the latest three versions of macOS. Users need a Microsoft account and an internet connection for installation and updates. Two editions are available for purchase: Office Home 2024 for 9.99, which includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote for a single PC or Mac, and Office Home & Business 2024 for 9.99, which adds Outlook and commercial use rights. New features include support for OpenDocument format 1.4, enhanced performance in Excel, closed captioning for presentations, improved search functionality, and document recovery features. ActiveX controls are disabled by default in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Visio for security reasons. Microsoft also launched Office LTSC 2024 for commercial and government customers. Office 2024 and Office LTSC 2024 were first announced in March, with a commercial preview following in April 2024.

Winsage

September 19, 2024

Microsoft launches Office LTSC 2024

Microsoft released Office Long Term Servicing Channel (LTSC) 2024 on September 16, targeting Windows-based government and commercial clients with a five-year support window. This version operates entirely offline, unlike Microsoft 365, and lacks cloud-dependent features such as cloud storage and Microsoft 365 Copilot. Key applications like Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook are included, but Publisher will be deprecated in 2026, and Teams is not preinstalled. The Publish to Power BI feature has been removed from Excel, and ActiveX controls are disabled by default. New on-premises versions of Project and Visio will be available by October 1. Microsoft is cautious about perpetual licensing due to legal scrutiny and indicates at least one more release before the decade ends, influenced by customer demand.

Winsage

September 19, 2024

Microsoft launches Office LTSC 2024

Microsoft released Office LTSC 2024 on September 16, designed for government and commercial clients using Windows, offering five years of support. It operates independently of the internet and does not include features like cloud storage or Microsoft Teams. Key applications such as Publisher and certain Excel features are absent. New on-premises versions of Project and Visio will be available by October 1. Microsoft plans at least one more release of Office LTSC before the end of the decade, although the future of perpetual licenses is uncertain due to ongoing legal challenges.

Winsage

September 18, 2024

Microsoft says Office 2024 LTSC support for Windows ends on October 9th, 2029

Support for Office 2024 LTSC will conclude on October 9, 2029. Microsoft announced the general release of Office 2024 on September 16, 2024, primarily for commercial and government clients, with consumer availability planned for the future. Office LTSC 2024 will be supported for five years, from September 18, 2024, to October 9, 2029. Office 2024 includes essential applications like Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, with new features such as dynamic charts in Excel and enhanced search capabilities in Outlook. Office 2024 does not support ActiveX Controls. Users on Office 2016 or 2019 are encouraged to transition to Microsoft 365 before October 14, 2025. Volume-based licenses for enterprises and government entities will be available starting October 1.

Winsage

September 18, 2024

Microsoft rolls out Office LTSC 2024 for Windows and Mac

Microsoft has launched Office LTSC 2024 for commercial and government clients, providing a stable, volume-licensed version of Office for Windows and macOS. This version is designed for environments with limited internet connectivity and includes enhanced performance and security, increased accessibility options, improved Outlook features, and new Excel functionalities like Dynamic Charts and Arrays. The Microsoft Teams app is now available as a standalone download, while Microsoft Publisher will be retired by October 2026. Office LTSC 2024 will receive five years of support under the Fixed Lifecycle Policy and can be deployed alongside Microsoft 365 Apps. It includes applications such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneDrive, OneNote, and Microsoft Access (Windows only). The suite operates on a device-based licensing model and does not require an internet connection for activation. It is currently available to existing commercial and government volume-licensed customers, with general availability set for October 1. Microsoft initially unveiled Office LTSC 2024 in March and provided a commercial preview in April 2024.