Before the time of endless revenue hunting, companies used to offer single interaction exchanges for products and services, and it looks like Microsoft may be bringing that experience back, for a select few.
According to Microsoft’s Tech Community Page, the company will soon be offering a new version of Office that is “time-locked” through its Long-Term Servicing Channel (LTSC) that does not require a subscription.
The Office LTSC 2024 version of Microsoft’s productivity suite is a feature locked variant of Office that doesn’t require an internet connection. As evident by its lack of internet connection, the LTSC Office package is delivered with a subset features Microsoft has updated the suite within the previous year, and it will not receive any future updates after being installed.
While it might sound like an early 2000’s financial utopia where customers aren’t locked into a reoccurring monthly payment for Office, but Microsoft isn’t offering Office LTSC for nostalgia.
This version of Office is meant to help users who have more stringent security concerns that won’t allow their devices to be connected to the internet or use machines that must remain unchanged for “years at a time.”
More specifically Office LTSC 2024 will host features that were added to Microsoft 365 Apps for Enterprise over the past three years such as Dynamic Charts, new functions in Excel, enhanced Outlook search, and some security and accessibility improvements.
Microsoft reiterated its belief that the perpetual licensing version of Office 365 is way to go for most people in the same Tech Community post.
While Office LTSC 2024 offers many significant improvements over the previous Office LTSC release, as an on-premises product it does not include the cloud-based capabilities of Microsoft 365 Apps, like real-time collaboration, AI-driven automation, or cloud-backed security and compliance capabilities. And for customers who need additional flexibility on deployment and connectivity – but not a fully disconnected solution – Microsoft 365 has options that can help.
Caroline Stanford – Microsoft
| Microsoft 365 Apps [1] | Office LTSC 2024 | |
| Apps included | Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneNote, OneDrive, Microsoft Access (Windows Only), Microsoft Publisher (Windows Only) [2], Sway, Microsoft Forms | Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneDrive, OneNote, Microsoft Access (Windows Only) [3] |
| Desktop apps |  Premium apps installed on up to 5 PCs or Macs |  Classic apps installed on 1 PC or Mac |
| Mobile apps |  Create & edit on up to 5 phones + 5 tablets |  |
| Web apps |  Create & edit online |  |
| Eligible for Microsoft 365 Copilot add-on [4] |  |  |
| Cloud storage |  1 TB per user |  |
| Feature updates |  New features and security updates delivered via Current, Monthly, or Semi-Annual channels |  Security updates only |
| Shared devices |  Shared computer activation or device-based licensing available |  Device-based licensing only |
| Connectivity requirements | Internet connection required for activation, license validation, and internet-based functionality. Extended offline access available to enable devices to stay disconnected for up to six months at a time. | No internet connection required |
Microsoft plans to make Office LTSC 2024 available October 1, 2024, for everyone beyond the existing commercial and government volume-licensed customers who have been testing it in public preview.
Microsoft also plans to support Office LTSC 2024 for five years under its Fixed Lifecycle Policy despite its arrest development existence.
