In a world driven by AI and connectivity, Microsoft 365 has established itself as the backbone of cloud applications, security, and storage for customers worldwide. However, recognizing the existence of specific scenarios that demand long-term service solutions, Microsoft continues its commitment to the Office Long-Term Servicing Channel (LTSC). This channel is designed for regulated devices that cannot receive feature updates for years, process control devices in offline manufacturing plants, and specialized systems such as medical testing equipment that need to maintain their embedded applications unchanged over time. With this purpose, Microsoft is pleased to announce the start of the commercial preview of the upcoming version of Office LTSC, Office LTSC 2024, which will begin next month, with general availability planned for later this year.
Office LTSC 2024 will build upon the features included in previous releases, adding significant enhancements such as new meeting creation options and search improvements in Outlook, dozens of new features and functions in Excel including Dynamic Arrays and Charts; and improved performance, security, and accessibility. However, it will not include Microsoft Publisher, which is being retired, or the Microsoft Teams application, which will be available for download separately.
Although Office LTSC 2024 will offer many significant improvements over its predecessor, as a local product, it will not offer the cloud-based capabilities of Microsoft 365 Apps, such as real-time collaboration; AI-driven automation in Word, Excel, and PowerPoint; or cloud-backed security and compliance capabilities. Additionally, Office LTSC 2024 will maintain a “perpetual” device-based license, supported for five years under the Fixed Lifecycle Policy, in parallel with Windows 11 LTSC, which will also be released this year.
Recognizing the importance of staying current with the needs of the future of work, especially in an AI-empowered world, Microsoft encourages customers still using solutions like Office 2016 and Office 2019, whose support ends in October 2025, to transition to a cloud subscription that fits their needs. For those scenarios where a disconnected and fixed-time solution is necessary, Office LTSC 2024 reflects Microsoft’s commitment to supporting these special needs.
Additionally, Microsoft plans to release a new version of local Office for consumers, Office 2024, later this year, which will also be supported for five years with the traditional “one-time purchase” model. More details about the new features included in Office 2024 will be announced close to its general availability.
This announcement underscores Microsoft’s dedication to offering solutions that cater to a wide range of customer scenarios, ensuring that everyone can leverage the latest technology, whether through cloud solutions or specific products like Office LTSC, to address the challenges of the future of work in an increasingly AI-dominated world.
via: [Tech Community](https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/microsoft-365-blog/upcoming-preview-of-microsoft-office-ltsc-2024/ba-p/4082963)