Microsoft announced a new single-purchase version of Microsoft Office that will be released later in 2021 for Windows and macOS.
The company said it plans to launch a variant of the Microsoft Office long-term service channel and a version designed for consumers and small businesses. Like the previous version of Office 2019, both versions are designed for those who don’t want to pay monthly for the cloud-based Microsoft 365 service.
Microsoft said the LTSC version will include new updates like Dark Mode and accessibility improvements, as well as features like Dynamic Arrays and XLOOKUP in Excel. It is likely to include these features in Office 2021 for consumers as well, but Microsoft is postponing adding any details until the release date. The company said it does not plan to change the single purchase cost.
In addition, there is a new change in the Office 2021 LSTC support window. The window is being extended to five years, instead of the seven years it normally provides. The cost is also increasing by 10%.
Office 2021 LTSC will be available as a trial version in April, but the consumer version will not. Microsoft is planning a release in the second half of the year for LTSC, although it is unclear whether it is planning the same for Office 2021.