For now, Office 2016 and 2019 users are safe.
Microsoft appears to have reversed its earlier decision to discontinue various generations of its Office program.
The software giant originally intended to cease support for Office 2016 and Office 2019 in October 2023. It would have prevented customers from connecting to Microsoft 365 services such as Exchange Online.
There is significantly more to the move than previously assumed, with several key warnings that may still concern Microsoft Office customers.
Office confusion
ZDNet – business technology website tried to clear up some uncertainty over the longevity of Microsoft Office 2016 and Office 2019.
Microsoft stated intentions to cut the links between the software and Microsoft 365 in July 2022. However, it now appears that the business will no longer maintain these connections in case of any faults or concerns, such as malware or insecure software.
Users will not be prevented from connecting to Microsoft 365 if they have outdated software. Teams parent company advised that doing so may render some unanticipated difficulties.
Furthermore, it appears that the October 2023 deadline currently just applies to Office 2019. On the due date, it will lose all mainstream support, which means Microsoft will no longer contribute new features, updates, or security support.
The absence of support will make connecting to 365 difficult, as Microsoft seeks to reduce the threat of any network-based malware distributed through the then-outdated software.
So, the customers can continue to use previous versions of Office but they will not be to connect to Microsoft 365.
When we upgrade Exchange Online, SharePoint Online, and other Microsoft 365 services, we will not be working around the limits inherent in older perpetual Office products that are already out of mainstream support.
Customers will not be prevented from joining, but new investments in cloud services will not provide the complete expected benefit. They may encounter unanticipated problems over time.
Office 2016 is already out of support, which ended in October 2020. It is already apparent by Microsoft’s unwillingness to assist in connecting to Microsoft 365 or other services. This move appears to be part of Microsoft’s strategy to have customers update to the most recent versions of its software and from the looks of it, it’s working!
