The non-subscription version of Office for business and government users, Office LTSC (Long Term Servicing Channel), was released today for Windows and macOS.
Office LTSC 2021 is for companies that use regulated devices where feature upgrades can’t be deployed for years at a time, devices that don’t have internet access, and specialty systems that require a long-term servicing channel.
Jared Sparto, Corporate VP for Microsoft 365, said that while it improves speed and accessibility, it does not include Microsoft 365 Apps cloud-based features like real-time collaboration and AI-driven automation in Word, PowerPoint, and Excel, and security and compliance features that provide further assurance in a hybrid world.
This permanent Office product is offered for the same price as previous versions (i.e., Office 2019) under the “one-time purchase” approach.
Office LTSC may now be installed in business contexts leveraging Click-to-Run installation technology, with these volume licensed Office products for Windows devices:
- Office LTSC Professional Plus 2021
- Office LTSC Standard 2021
- Project Professional 2021
- Project Standard 2021
- Visio LTSC Professional 2021
- Visio LTSC Standard 2021
Volume licensed clients can install Office LTSC Standard for Mac 2021 on macOS devices by following the methods outlined in the Office for Mac deployment guide.
The first announcement from Microsoft about Office LTSC 2021 came in February, and a commercial preview was released after two months, i.e., in April 2021. Microsoft also stated in February that the LTSC lifecycles for Windows 10 and Office would be lowered from 10 to 5 years.
Now, Office LTSC comes with five years of Mainstream Support. It means there won’t be any Extended Support opportunity for these products once the Mainstream Support expires after five years. The Consumer perpetual Office 2021 will be commercially accessible from October 5 of this year.
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