Microsoft pulls back the curtain on Office 2016 and 2019: millions of users facing the wall of obsolescence
As announced, Microsoft has just turned the page. Office 2016 and 2019 no longer benefit from any support since October 14. More security fixes, more bug fixes, more technical support. Each vulnerability discovered will now remain exploitable, opening the door wide to cyberattacks.
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The problem gets worse when we know that Windows 10 suffers the same fate at the same time. Organizations that have not anticipated these deadlines therefore find themselves doubly exposed to threats.
Inventory of abandoned products
The list is dizzying and affects both consumer applications and critical server infrastructures:
- The Office 2016 and Office 2019 suites in their entirety
- Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Access, Publisher, OneNote, Project, Visio, Skype for Business in their 2016 and 2019 versions
- Exchange servers 2016 and 2019, Skype for Business Server 2015 and 2019
Jeremy Carlson, marketing manager at Microsoft, bluntly warns: “Continuing to use these products after their support ends can negatively impact the security, compliance and productivity of organizations.” Machines still running these versions become prime targets for attackers, who scan for new vulnerabilities knowing they will never be patched.
Head for subscription, with no real alternative
Microsoft has made a decision and is taking on a major strategic shift. No more perpetual licenses, make way for recurring subscriptions. The company is now moving towards Microsoft 365 E3, Office 365 E3, or Microsoft 365 Business Standard. The only escape for those who refuse the cloud or operate in regulated environments: Office LTSC 2024, specifically designed for isolated or disconnected machines.
As for Skype for Business users, they need to migrate to Teams or opt for a local server version via Skype for Business Server Subscription Edition.
Organizations with more than one hundred and fifty licenses can rely on FastTrack, Microsoft’s support service, to orchestrate this transition. However, these migrations require time, resources and careful planning. Inaction mechanically amplifies the risks. The days of software going through a decade without requiring change are definitely a thing of the past.
