Is Microsoft Office 2019 Right For You?

Hearing that your Office Productivity Software is being phased out can be scary. Updating, upgrading, downtime, transferring, and compatibility are just some of the reasons one might be hesitant to dive into change.

Microsoft announced the release of Office 2019, and with the already existing Office 2016 and cloud-based Office 365 still in circulation, making the right choice for your business can be more confusing than ever.

Office 2019 vs. Office 365

Office 365 is the cloud-based version of Office, while Office 2019 is a scaled-down version of the software package.  It is the choice for those that want updated Office software, but are not ready to make the jump into a cloud-based world. This is how Microsoft presents the options to its customers in its FAQ section:

For many customers, Office 365 is the way to go. It’s the most secure, intelligent and collaborative version of Office. However, going to the cloud is a journey, and our customers may be in different stages of that journey. This includes hybrid and on-premises. To support those customers, we have Office 2019, a valuable new release of Office with a subset of features from Office 365.

Office 2019 also differs in price from Office 365. Current MSRP for a single license of Microsoft Office 2019 is $249.00. Meanwhile, Office 365 Premium (which includes Online Exchange) goes for $12.50/month for each user.

On Premises

Office 2019 will never change. There are some standard features included: learning tools & data analysis for Word and PowerPoint, and there will be security updates. None of the feature updates that a cloud-based service would champion are available in the on-premises version of Microsoft Office. However, Office 365 offers all available updates instantly for that monthly charge.

Windows Upgrades

A snag in the new rollout is operating system compatibility. Windows 10 is required for Office 2019, as it is not compatible with 7 & 8.1. That could be a big issue for many companies. Updating operating systems comes with even greater and justifiable trepidation.

If you haven’t made the decision just yet, Office 2016 is still completely viable and will be through 2023. So, there is no rush to decide to make the switch right now.

We Can Help You Decide

If you are thinking about it and have questions, or you just aren’t sure what is right for your business, DII Cloud specializes in business solutions of all sizes. We will supply, install, and manage the right fit for your office. In addition, we’d love to answer any other questions of migration or upgrading you may have specific to this or in general.

We offer a Free IT Audit, which you can start here.