Office, Windows Support Policy Revised Again

• New support policies extend the support life cycle of Windows 7, Office 365 ProPlus, and Office 2016.
• The updated policies could give customers some breathing room before upgrading their systems.
• Many common environments will soon lose support and need upgrades.
• Organizations should expect product support policies to change annually or faster.

Updated support policies extend the life of Office 365 ProPlus, Office 2016 Professional Plus, and Windows 7 and keep some combinations of Office and Windows versions viable longer than initially planned. However, organizations might have to pay more for related software upgrades, support add-ons, and hardware refreshes to take advantage of the policies. Organizations that employ the Office and Windows products should plan upgrades (both software and hardware) and, if necessary, investigate alternatives as soon as possible. (See the chart “Broad Support Changes Begin in 2020“.)

Updated Support Policies Announced

The new support policies, announced Sept. 6, 2018, extend the potential support life cycle of the following products: