End of support for Office 2010 – October 13th, 2020

Your IT estate is complex, which means it can be difficult to keep up with the day-to-day demands of your organisation, let alone deliver technological innovation that drives the business forward. The problem with legacy software is that you don’t get cloud-based updates and so the software gets out of date, even with intermittent updates and eventually the provider will make the application “end of life”, meaning it is no longer supported.

On October 13, 2020 support will end for Office 2010, (detail here) this means that you will no longer receive extended security updates. Your apps will continue to function normally, so essentially you could continue using Office 2010, but you will be exposing your users to serious and potentially harmful security risks, so why take the chance?

Here’s what the end of support means for you:

• Microsoft will no longer provide technical support, bug fixes, or security fixes for any Office 2010 vulnerabilities which may be reported or discovered. This includes security updates which can help protect your PC from harmful viruses, spyware, and other malicious software.
• You’ll no longer receive Office 2010 software updates from Microsoft Update.
• You’ll no longer receive phone or chat technical support.
• No further updates to support content will be provided and most online help content will be retired.
• You’ll no longer be able to download Office 2010 from the Microsoft web site.

What are my options?

The best upgrade path is to Microsoft 365. Not only will you receive the very latest versions of the same apps you know from Office 2010, but you’ll also gain access to the new cloud-based services, including the increased productivity and collaboration that comes with Microsoft Teams. In the world of the “new normal” with so many people now working from home and remotely, this is a no brainer!

Over the last 10 years Microsoft has moved its focus to offering online versions of its apps and moving to a subscription model. At the same time businesses have also changed the way they operate, in particularly with the adoption of cloud computing. This has allowed businesses to let their users create, edit and collaborate more seamlessly than ever before.

Employees expect the right the right tools to connect and support them, wherever they are. Technology must encourage productivity, engagement, and collaboration. Companies need to provide that experience, but they also need to protect vital IT assets. It’s a fundamental operational change for your business but also an opportunity. Microsoft 365 offers all of this and more.

What has changed since Office 2010?

• The apps you know and love got smarter – Bringing ideas to life is easier with Office 365. Premium versions of Word, Excel, and PowerPoint help with built-in intelligence and let you co-author, dictate into documents, and get real-time data.
• Productivity and user experience – Easily share and collaborate with others by making edits and offering feedback in real time. Work together with others for free using Office for the web.
• Access and work on your files anywhere, anytime with OneDrive – Access and save your files securely from anywhere on all your devices with 1 TB of OneDrive cloud storage.
• Improved Security – Safeguard your digital assets with OneDrive security such as ransomware detection, password-protected sharing links, and file recovery. With Outlook.com get advanced virus and phishing protection.

How can we help?

No matter where you are on your migration journey we can help. If you need any advice on how to move to Microsoft 365, please get in touch on 0131 652 3954 or on our online contact form.