Learn about the new version of Microsoft Office 2024 on the Long Term Service Channel (LTSC). We’ll dive into new features, pricing, expected availability, and the main reasons you should choose this perpetual version vs the hyped Microsoft 365 subscription model. Stay up to date and make informed decisions with this guide.
What is Office 2024?
Office 2024 for Windows and Mac is the next version of Office offered to customers by Microsoft for specialized use cases that require a long-term servicing channel instead of the license subscription model (Microsoft 365 Apps). This release is an upgrade for Office 2021 which will include a new set of features. More on that soon.
Office LTSC will be supported for five years according to their fixed lifecycle policy in parallel with the upcoming Windows 11 LTSC release. Here is the list of apps included in the various suites:
- Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Access, OneNote
- The release will also include options for Microsoft Project Professional and Microsoft Visio Professional
Here are the main SKUs available to purchase:
- Microsoft Office LTSC Standard
- Microsoft Office LTSC Professional Plus (includes Access)
What is new in Office 2024?
Several new features and enhancements will be released in the 2024 version. Here are some highlights:
- This update includes new options for creating meetings and refined search capabilities in Outlook
- Dozens of new Excel features like new Dynamic Charts and Arrays – these are significant updates for the ‘2024’ release
Although Microsoft has not given a lot of details yet on the new features, it should be noted that there are a solid three years of updates and new features included in this version compared to the 2021 release. Although no new features will be added throughout the product’s lifecycle, you will benefit from three years’ worth of new features to the various applications.
Some other notable changes in 2024 – the Microsoft Publisher app will not be included as it has been retired. Also, the new Teams application will not be installed – it will need to be downloaded and installed separately. Plus, this will use the same Click-To-Run technology (not an MSI installation) as in Office LTSC 2021 and the Microsoft 365 Apps models.
A key note in the LTSC releases – no new feature updates will be installed or upgraded throughout the product’s lifecycle. Although this is a key reason for this channel, customers should be aware of that. If they are looking for a normal cadence of new features, they should invest in the Microsoft 365 Apps subscription model where you can get new features monthly or semi-annually.
When is Office 2024 expected to be available?
Microsoft has announced that Office LTSC 2024 will hit general availability sometime in the second half of 2024. My educated guess would be around the October timeframe. As stated above, Microsoft told us that Office LTSC 2024 will be released in tandem with the new Windows 11 LTSC release. This is the same Long Term Service Channel but for the Windows 11 client.
The commercial preview of Office LTSC 2024 is available now – read this link for installation instructions.
How much will Office 2024 cost?
Microsoft has hinted that the retail pricing for the Office 2024 version will go up by about 10% compared to the ‘2021’ release. They chalk this up to the fact that these are ‘specialized products’. Nice marketing speak for ‘we wish we didn’t have to maintain this channel’. 🙂
The retail pricing for the Office LTSC 2021 products ranges from $300 – $500, but there are often discounts available. Be advised that because this is not a subscription, companies will need to make a one-time purchase to upgrade to this. Think of this as when we went to software stores, purchased a boxed product of Office, and used the CD-ROM to install or upgrade Office on our computers. I know, right?
Why should I choose the LTSC version of Microsoft Office vs subscription?
Although Microsoft loves to explain that the right thing to do for your devices is to purchase the Microsoft 365 Apps subscription model to keep updated with the latest features, they do mention a few reasons for this product’s existence. Common devices designed for this release include medical testing equipment and process control devices – devices that don’t have or need constant Internet connections. Here are some details for you.
Reliable feature set
For computers without a reliable Internet connection, the LTSC release works. It only needs to get security updates, typically monthly, and does NOT include the real-time collaboration features, new AI features, and Copilot in the subscription model. IT Pros that need to make sure the feature set is as is and will be for years to come – this is your answer.
Less disruption of updates, training, etc.
The other main reason for the LTSC release is that you won’t need to spend budget money on training your staff for new features – there won’t be any. You would only need to train employees on the new features between what they currently use like Office 2016, 2019, or LTSC 2021, and this new 2024 version.
Conclusion
If you’re looking for a stable, feature-rich, and secure office suite for a subset of your users, Office 2024 is your option of choice. Reliable applications, monthly security updates, and a stable feature set will ease your administration of Office for these users.
Please leave a comment or question below – thanks for reading!