The next version of Microsoft Office, Office 2024, will be available both as a subscription-based product as well as something that can be bought with a single payment.
Microsoft on Wednesday released several important details about its upcoming Office 2024 suite.
The commercial preview of Office LTSC 2024, Microsoft said in a blog post, will be released in April ahead of a general release later in 2024. Office LTSC, or Long-Term Servicing Channel, represents the version of Office intended for commercial and government use in specialist and niche uses where devices may not be able to access the internet, or where software updates are not desired: in manufacturing or medical testing labs, for example. It is not sold in stores and is only available for volume purchases.
Microsoft’s blog post confirmed that Office 2024 will arrive alongside the Windows version, and will be available as a “device-based ‘perpetual’ license, supported for five years.” This will allow users to buy Office for Mac 2024 and the related individual apps for a one-time flat fee and get updates until 2029.
Microsoft has had a somewhat inconsistent Office release schedule over the past 13 years, its recent versions debuting in 2011, 2016, 2019, and 2021.
While the LTSC versions of Office will see price hikes “up to 10 percent at the time of general availability,” the consumer versions are expected to stay the same, currently $150/£119 (Home and Student) and $250/£249 (Home and Business) for Microsoft Office 2021. Microsoft has not guaranteed the same pricing, and has stated that “We do not plan to change the price for these products at the time of the release.”)
Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.
Via Macworld and techcommunity.microsoft.com