Licensing Office RT for Commercial Use

Windows RT devices, including Microsoft’s own Surface RT tablet, include an Office suite called Office Home & Student 2013 RT. However, the accompanying license terms prohibit the software from being used for commercial, nonprofit, or revenue-generating activities. While any traditional Office 2013 volume licensing customer and many Office 365 subscribers automatically get Office RT commercial use rights, others will have to purchase separate licenses to use Windows RT devices for work. Also, customers planning to use Windows RT devices to access Office running on virtual desktop infrastructure and Remote Desktop Services servers will generally require additional licensing.

Windows RT and Office RT

Preinstalled on ARM-based devices, Windows RT is a new member of the Windows family designed for lightweight tablets that compete with the iPad as well as ultra-portable laptops similar to the Apple MacBook Air. Office Home & Student 2013 RT (called Office RT here for short) is included preinstalled on all Windows RT devices. The four applications that comprise Office RT—Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote—are very similar in appearance and functionality to their Office 2013 PC counterparts.