Microsoft has unveiled what may be the second-to-last version of its perpetual licensed Office suite, known as Office Long Term Servicing Channel (LTSC) 2024. Released on September 16, this launch was somewhat overshadowed by the company’s recent Copilot innovations.
A device running Office LTSC 2024 need never be attached to the outside world…
This latest iteration primarily targets Windows-based government and commercial clients, offering a five-year support window. Unlike its Microsoft 365 counterpart, Office LTSC 2024 is designed as a standalone product, devoid of many features that rely on cloud connectivity. For instance, users will miss out on cloud storage and the option to subscribe to Microsoft 365 Copilot, which is available for an additional fee. Notably, while Microsoft 365 mandates an internet connection at least once every six months for “extended offline access,” Office LTSC 2024 allows devices to operate entirely offline.
Feature Limitations and Changes
Microsoft has provided a detailed comparison table highlighting the features that will not be available to users opting for Office LTSC. Key applications such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook are included, but several cloud-dependent functionalities are absent. Additionally, Publisher is set to be deprecated in 2026, and Teams is not preinstalled with this version. The Publish to Power BI feature has also been removed from Excel, and ActiveX controls are disabled by default, although administrators can choose to enable them if needed.
In a related move, Microsoft announced that new on-premises versions of Project and Visio will be generally available to all customers by October 1.
Perpetual licensing is a topic Microsoft tends to approach with caution, especially given the ongoing legal scrutiny regarding incentives that encourage customers to transition from perpetual licenses to Microsoft 365 subscriptions. The future of these licenses remains uncertain as the company navigates these challenges.
With the announcement of Office LTSC 2024, Microsoft has indicated a commitment to at least one more release before the decade concludes. While specifics beyond this point remain vague, it is clear that customer demand will play a significant role in shaping future offerings. The existence of Office LTSC 2024 itself underscores the needs of users who require devices that operate without internet connectivity, making the cloud-based features of Microsoft 365 an impractical choice for them.
