Microsoft has announced a new single-purchase version of Microsoft Office that will debut later in 2021 for Windows and macOS.
The company said it plans to launch a long-term variant of Microsoft Office and a version designed for consumers and small businesses. Like the previous version of Office 2019, both versions are designed for those who do not want to pay monthly for the Microsoft 365 cloud-based service.
Microsoft said the LTSC version will include new updates such as dark mode and accessibility enhancements, as well as features like Dynamic Arrays and XLOOKUP in Excel. It is likely to include these features in Office 2021 for consumers, but Microsoft will stop adding any details until it comes close to the release date. The company said it has no plans to change the single purchase cost.
In addition, there is a new change in the support window for Office 2021 LSTC. The window is opening for up to five years, instead of the seven years it has normally provided. The cost also increases by 10%.
The Office 2021 LTSC will be available as a pre-release version in April, but the consumer version will not. Microsoft is looking at a release in the second half of LTSC, though it’s unclear if it plans the same for Office 2021.