Microsoft has announced the upcoming end of support (EOS) date for Office 2016 and Office 2019 apps, along with related productivity servers. All of those apps will no longer be supported after October 14, 2025.
In a blog post, Microsoft stated:
After this end date, Microsoft will no longer provide security fixes, bug fixes, or technical support. Using products after end of support leaves your organization vulnerable to potential security threats, productivity losses, and compliance issues.
The blog post listed the many Office 2016 and 2019 apps this new EOS date will affect, along with the server products;
- Access 2016
- Access 2019
- Excel 2016
- Excel 2019
- OneNote 2016
- Outlook 2016
- Outlook 2019
- PowerPoint 2016
- PowerPoint 2019
- Project 2016
- Project 2019
- Publisher 2016
- Publisher 2019
- Skype for Business 2016
- Skype for Business 2019
- Visio 2016
- Visio 2019
- Word 2016
- Word 2019
- Exchange Server 2016
- Exchange Server 2019
- Skype for Business Server 2015
- Skype for Business Server 2019
Microsoft is recommending that organizations who have these apps installed instead sign up for a Microsoft 365 E3 cloud-based subscription. If those groups still need to keep their PCs disconnected from the internet and are not yet ready to switch to Microsoft 365, the company does offer the Office Long-Term Servicing Channel (LTSC) solution. However, the EOS date for Office LTSC 2021 is October 13, 2026, so customers get just under a year of additional support beyond Office 2016 and 2019.
Microsoft has already announced plans to retire the Publisher app completely and will remove it from Microsoft 365 subscriptions in October 2026.
The company has revealed it plans to release a preview of Office LTSC 2024 for businesses and organizations sometime later in April. It plans to offer five years of support for the stand-alone Office 2024 apps. A consumer version will launch sometime later in the fall of 2024.
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