[German]Microsoft has released Microsoft Office 2024 LTSC, which was announced some time ago, on September 16, 2024. This version of Office is now available for Windows and Apple Macs under macOS. It is an Office version that offers a subset of the features of the Microsoft 365 apps, but a stable platform that is not annoying due to constant feature changes as with Microsoft 365.
Preview since April 2024
In March 2024, Microsoft announced plans for a Microsoft Office 2024 – and a preview has been available to interested customers for testing since April 2024. I reported on this in the blog post Microsoft Office 2024 and Microsoft Office LTSC 2024: Preview in April 2024. Even then, I wrote: Microsoft's favorite horse is of course Office 365 or Microsoft 365, where Office applications are offered as a subscription version and have to be paid for monthly. But many users and companies continue to demand a purchase license, where the software can be paid for once and then used for the support period. Microsoft Office 2021 was the last version to be released with a perpetual license, but this will expire in 2026. Microsoft had to come up with Office 2024 LTSC.
Microsoft Office 2024 LTSC available
On September 16, 2024, Microsoft officially announced the release of its LTSC version of Microsoft Office 2024 in the Techcommunity article Office LTSC 2024 is now available. Thanks to the readers who sent me the information yesterday evening. I'll take a more critical look at Microsoft's omissions below.
First I couldn't believe my eyes – they writing a post about Office 2024 LTSC, but most of the text praises their cloud an subscription solution Microsoft Office – it's a 1st I've seen in product advertising, communicating "don't use our new product, because we have another option" – and it's a new "low from Microsoft" in my opinion. The best I can derive is that Microsoft says, they are focusing on Microsoft 365 and it's cloud solution.
Office 2024 LTSC: What's in?
Microsoft tells us that Office LTSC 2024 offers a time-limited version of the familiar productivity tools from Microsoft 365 Apps. Mor precisely, it's a perpetual license and not a cloud focused subscription based product. Here are the key points, derived from Microsoft's article:
- Microsoft Office LTSC 2024 includes the applications Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneDrive, OneNote and, in the Windows version, Microsoft Access.
- It is a purchase (life time) version that can be acquired at a fixed price and will be supported for a period of five years – it can be used beyond the five years.
- The license relates to the respective machine – a Microsoft Office LTSC 2024 can therefore only be installed on one computer (relevant for individual purchasers). But the license may be moved to another machine. However, companies with volume licenses are out of the question as they can be licensed company-wide.
In a nutshell: You can buy an Office LTSC 2024 that he pays for once, installs and can then work with without being bothered by constant feature updates. This is actually the scenario that many companies want. I therefore also find Microsoft's table comparing the features of Microsoft 365 and Office LTSC 2024 in terms of updates misleading. It boasts that Microsoft 365 will receive new feature and security updates via current, monthly or semi-annual channels. But Office LTSC 2024 has a big X under this point (with the note "Security updates only"). At first I interpreted this to mean that there are not even any security updates – but what is meant is that this LTSC variant only receives security updates.
For Microsoft 365, Microsoft Publisher is listed as being on board, but not in Office LTSC 2024. The reason: Microsoft Publisher will no longer be supported in October 2026 (see also the explanation here in the article on Generic Volume License Keys). And Microsoft Teams will no longer be bundled with any Office version due to EU competition rules.
What remains? The reader learns that Microsoft Office 2024 LTSC does not require an "Internet connection". It's outrageous, you install the software and can use it just like that – without the constant need for internet, cloud and feature updates – good old times, where software did, what it was bought for.
Office LTSC 2024 will be supported for five years as part of the Fixed Lifecycle Policy – so it will only cease to be supported in September 2029 and will receive security updates and bug fixes during this time, but no new features. Microsoft already abolished the previously standard 10 years of support years ago.
Another interesting fact for administrators: Microsoft Office 2024 LTSC can be deployed together with the Microsoft 365 apps. A common set of tools will be used to make it easier to manage hybrid environments.
Who gets Office LTSC 2024?
Microsoft is now releasing its Office LTSC 2024 to government and enterprise customers with volume licenses who can install the product as an on-premises solution. However, I read the comment in the Techcommunity article that the product is not yet offered in the Volume License Center. A price for the product is not mentioned in the Techcommunity article.
According to the Microsoft article, the products will be available to "all customers" from October 1, 2024. According to my reading, small companies without a volume license and private users should also be able to buy this Office LTSC 2024 – but I'm not sure, because it is possible that the availability for these groups refers to the Office 2024 mentioned below.
Microsoft wants to provide an "Office 2024" for private users. Redmond plans to publish information on this product in the coming weeks. However, my recommendation is that these private users should switch to the free LibreOffice to get out of the Microsoft mill.
Prices for companies
Just came across Stefan Barth's German article on the Office 2024 preview while searching the internet. I have had frequent contact with Software Express in the past (in the context of ESU licenses). Barth's article lists the confirmed versions of Microsoft Office 2024 and the advantages of this on-premises version – the links also provide the German prices in Euro for the relevant versions for corporate licenses.
