Office 365 Mac OS High Sierra: Understanding the Support Timeline

When it comes to supporting its products, Microsoft has traditionally followed a consistent policy of providing assistance for two years after releasing a successor product. However, in recent years, this timeline has been extended in certain cases.

In 2011, when Office for Mac 2011 was released, the company set an end-of-support deadline for January 2016, which marked approximately five years since its initial release. This meant that users of the productivity package would no longer receive security patches or bug fixes after this date.

Fast forward to summer 2015, when it became clear that the successor to Office for Mac 2011 would not be ready by early 2016. In response, Microsoft extended the lifespan of Office for Mac 2011 by 21 months, effectively pushing back its end-of-support deadline to October 10, 2020.

What Happens After End-of-Support Date?

While individual applications within Office for Mac 2011, such as Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Word, will continue to function after the support date, companies using these tools may face a risk of malware exploitation due to unpatched flaws. As a result, Microsoft will no longer provide patches for security vulnerabilities or fixes for other bugs, nor will it offer free or paid assisted support.

Upgrade Considerations

For users running Office 2016 for Mac, Microsoft has advised that they must update their applications to version 15.35 or later if they plan to upgrade their Macs to High Sierra. This is because the newer version of Office has been tested on the macOS High Sierra operating system and will receive formal support.

Important Warning for Office for Mac 2011 Users

Microsoft has explicitly warned users of Office for Mac 2011 not to upgrade to Apple's macOS High Sierra when the new operating system launches in September. This is because Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Lync have not been tested on this configuration and will not receive formal support.

In conclusion, while Microsoft's support timeline for Office for Mac 2011 has been extended, users should be aware of the potential risks associated with using an unsupported product. It's essential to plan ahead and ensure that your applications are updated to the latest version to minimize the risk of security vulnerabilities.

Office 365 mac os high sierra