Microsoft announces general availability of Office 2021
Pay once, own forever
The next perpetual version of Microsoft Office (Office LTSC 2021) is now generally available for commercial customers. A consumer version will follow on 5th October, the same day Microsoft is set to release Windows 11.
The 'LTSC' stands for Long Term Servicing Channel, meaning users only have to pay once. Unlike the subscription-based Office 365, Office LTSC does not receive updates from Microsoft, and remains the same forever in terms of features.
'Office LTSC is designed for specific scenarios: regulated devices that cannot accept feature updates, process control devices on the manufacturing floor, and specialty systems that cannot connect to the internet. To meet this need, Office LTSC will provide a locked-in-time version of familiar productivity tools,' Microsoft says.
The new version of Office is available on both Windows and macOS. Microsoft plans to support it for at least five years, and has committed to release another perpetual version of Office in the future.
There are several new features in Office LTSC 2021, although Microsoft 365 subscribers will already be familiar with them. They include new translation capabilities in Outlook; functions like XMATCH, XLOOKUP and LET in Excel; and an improved slideshow recorder in PowerPoint. Performance improvements, a new visual design across apps, new accessibility features and dark mode support are among the other new features.
Microsoft hasn't yet detailed pricing for Office 2021, although it is expected to remain similar for personal and small business users.
Last month, the company announced a price increase for Microsoft 365 subscriptions, which goes into effect in March 2022.
The basic business plan will see a rise of 20 per cent, from $5 per user to $6, while the high-end Microsoft 365 E3 will go up 12.5 per cent, from $32 to $36 per user. The changes will apply globally, with local adjustments for certain regions.
It is the first substantial price change to Office 365 since Microsoft launched the product a decade ago.