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Continuing to use Office for which support has expired poses various security risks, such as malfunctions, virus infections, and information leaks, so it is essential to take prompt action.
This time, we will introduce the list of support deadlines for the product version of Office, the risks due to the end of support, and the points of security measures when migrating to Skype. However, very interesting alternatives have emerged to the well-known Microsoft 365.
The product version of Office has a support deadline!
List of support deadlines for commercial versions of Office
The support deadline for the commercial version of Office provided by Microsoft is as follows.
| mainstream support deadline | Extended support deadline | |
|---|---|---|
| Office 2021 | October 13, 2026 | none |
| Office 2019 | October 10, 2023 | October 14, 2025 |
| Office 2016 | October 13, 2020 | October 14, 2025 |
| Office 2016 for Mac | October 13, 2020 | none |
| Office 2013 | April 10, 2018 | April 11, 2023 |
| Office 2011 for Mac | July 10, 2017 | none |
| Office 2010 | October 13, 2015 | October 13, 2020 |
| Office 2007 | October 9, 2012 | October 10, 2017 |
| Office 2003 | April 14, 2009 | April 8, 2014 |
| Office XP | July 11, 2006 | July 12, 2011 |
| Office 2000 | June 30, 2004 | July 14, 2009 |
Difference between mainstream and extended support
There are two types of Office support deadlines, “mainstream support deadline” and “extended support deadline”, and the support details for each are as follows.
| mainstream support deadline | Extended support deadline | |
|---|---|---|
| Support period | Minimum 5 years from product launch | Minimum of 5 years from expiration of mainstream support |
| Feature update | ○ | × |
| bug fixes | ○ | × |
| Security fixes | ○ | ○ |
In this way, during the mainstream support period, all support, including the addition of new features and bug fixes, will be applied, but when moving to the extended support period, only security fixes will be performed.
In recent years, there have been moves to abolish extended support for security fixes, such as Office 2019 extended support being shortened to two years and Office 2021 becoming only mainstream support.
What are the security risks lurking in unsupported Office?
It is possible to use Office software even after the support period has expired.
However, since the following disadvantages and risks occur, caution is required when using it for business.
Unable to use new features/support
Out-of-support Office will not be able to take advantage of new features released by Microsoft.
Also, since new functions are not necessarily compatible with older versions of Office, problems such as changes in display or inability to edit may occur when data created with the latest version of Office is opened.
Virus and spyware infection risk
Security fix support will no longer be provided for Office after the extended support period has passed.
Even if a new virus or spyware is created, there is no corresponding security program provided, so the risk of virus infection increases as time passes.
Loss of credibility due to information leaks, etc.
Continuing to use it without security support increases the risk of personal and confidential information held by the company being leaked or stolen.
If the information and data of not only your company but also other companies are leaked, it will be inevitable that the trust of other companies will be lost.
Migrate to Microsoft 365 for enhanced security
Switching to Office 2021 or Microsoft 365 is essential to prevent various security risks due to the end of support.
Outline of cloud service “Microsoft 365”
Microsoft 365 is a subscription-type cloud service that allows comprehensive use of Office, OneDrive, SharePoint, Exchange Online, etc.
Microsoft 365 can be contracted on a monthly or yearly basis, and the latest version of functions and security measures will always be implemented during the contract period.
There are plans for individuals, small and medium enterprises, large companies, and field personnel, and you can add or remove Microsoft 365 licenses as needed.
Benefits of deploying Microsoft 365
Benefits of adopting Microsoft 365 include:
- You can always use the latest version, so you don’t have to spend time and money on replacement or disposal of old versions.
- Since end of support does not occur, there is no need to worry about security risks such as virus infection or information leakage.
- You can use up to 5 PCs, 5 tablets, and 5 smartphones per license, which is useful for telework, etc.
- You can easily change and assign the number of licenses from the management center, etc.
[Summary] Consider migrating to Microsoft 365 before support ends
To prevent computer virus infection and information leakage, it is necessary to complete migration to the latest version of Office while security support is in effect.
With Microsoft 365, you can use Office on multiple devices and accounts, so Microsoft 365 is recommended over Office 2021 for enterprise deployments.
NEC Networks & System Integration provides installation and operation support for Microsoft 365, so please feel free to contact us if you are considering switching.