Tag Archives: Software Upgrades

New version of Microsoft Office

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Microsoft to launch new version of Office this year

A new version of Microsoft Office for commercial customers – Office LTSC (Long-Term Servicing Channel) – will be launched later this year, as will Office 2021 for consumers and small businesses.  It will be available for both Windows and Mac. It is designed for users who don’t want to use the cloud-based Microsoft 365 version of Office products.

Tom Warren from The Verge investigates more about this latest version.

New version of Microsoft Office

The release of Office 365 in 2011 saw Microsoft take its productivity software in a new direction.
For the first time, the Office suite will be available as part of a subscription service.

Features of the new version of Microsoft Office

The new version of Microsoft Office, for which there will be a preview next month, will include dark mode support, accessibility improvements, and features like Dynamic Arrays and XLOOKUP in Excel.  The most obvious change visually will be with Dark Mode.  Currently, Word has a dark mode which modifies the ribbon and toolbars. However, the canvas stays bright white. The ability to switch the canvas into dark mode, too, will be available in Office LTSC. The note taking program OneNote will also be available in the new version.

The interface will change and some features of the new version will mirror those of Microsoft 365.

“We have a lot of customers that have moved to the cloud over the last 10 months. That has happened en masse really. At the same time, we definitely have customers who have specific scenarios where they don’t feel like they can move to the cloud”,  said Jared Spataro, Head of Microsoft 365.

Support and pricing

The new version of Microsoft Office LTSC will be supported for five years.  This means, the support offered is two years less than with the current version. This revised length of support aligns more closely with how Windows is supported. Microsoft are aligning its release schedules for both Office and Windows more closely. Both 32- and 64-bit options will be available.

Pricing for Office Professional Plus, Office Standard, and individual apps will be increasing by ten percent for commercial customers.

Make sure your Office has the latest version

Efficiency is so important for business. Being able to create, collaborate and communicate seamlessly makes any organisation more effective. Having access to productivity tools that enable your team to do their jobs more easily. Accessing your work from anywhere, allows businesses to be agile and lets them compete in their sector.

Contact the LIS Help Desk to discuss the new version of Microsoft Office. Are you running older version of Microsoft Office? We can help with upgrades, security, cloud back up and any of your IT requirements.

LIS – SECURING YOUR DIGITAL WORLD

#Microsoft   #LTSC  #Upgrades  #technews

Upgrading your software

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Upgrading your software can cause issues

Upgrading your software is a huge decision for any business. When an automatic update appears on your screen, should you press update? Recently, some of the big software companies have released updates that have caused issues. Here are four stories that were in the news recently.

A Windows 10 update that was only released 2 weeks ago is breaking some PCs. Matt Hanson from TechRadar take a look.

An Unexpected’ iPhone and iPad update threatens app glitches. James Clayton & Leo Kelion, Technology reporters from the BBC publishes a recent article.

Red Hat Enterprise Linux runs into Boothole patch trouble. Steven Vaughan-Nichols for Linux and Open Source wrote an article for ZDNet.

Norton Antivirus fails to update on Windows 10. Aleksandar Ognjanovic a Troubleshooting Expert  wrote a story for Windows Report.

Upgrading your software

Given upgrades are here to stay, the key is not to regard them as a nuisance, but to recognise that by investing in them, you will benefit your business.

The pros and cons of upgrading your software

To help you make the right decision we’ve created a list of the pros and cons involved:

Pro: Security

New software is always more secure than its predecessors, because the longer a piece of software is on the market, the longer hackers and other bad actors have to figure out its weaknesses. With cyber-security being one of the biggest threats to businesses today (In 2016, 36% of all crimes were “cyber enabled fraud”, while “computer misuse” accounted for a further 17%) that’s a PRO you can’t ignore! Upgrading your software will help your systems with threats from cyber crime.

Con: New software costs money

Software costs can fluctuate between developers and product versions. Some programs might include a discounted price for future upgrades, or you may have to buy the software outright, which can quickly add up when you have to upgrade multiple computers. Making this kind of bulk purchase comes down to whether you have the budget, which can easily dictate how realistic software upgrades are for your company. To overcome these hurdles, Clockwork IT also offers a rental option to its customers allowing them to implement a new system with minimal upfront costs.

Pro: New capabilities

How do businesses justify charging you for an updated piece of software? By providing something that’s substantially better than earlier versions! The latest programs will undoubtedly address previous flaws, increase functionality, and take user feedback into account.

Con: But do you need it?

Of course, while the newest software may be the best, there is no guarantee that you need it. If your “old” program still works fine, and none of the new features will be useful to you, why throw money away on an updated product? In this case, there will almost certainly be something better to spend your money on!

Pro: Productivity and efficiency

The bottom line is this: as software functionality improves, it should deliver greater gains in productivity and efficiency. Some companies could save thousands of hours of work with a simple upgrade – at that point, the question becomes one of economics. Upgrading your software will keep your business up to date with the latest technolgu. This will ensure your team can produce the best product and service for your industry.

Con: Hurdles

While new software tends to be better, and can improve productivity, there will always be a “learning curve” to take into account. If the new programs are very different, it will require significant man-hours to understand. As well as major input from IT specialists, you may want to ask yourself: is it worth it? In other words, do the productivity gains you think you will reap from installation outweigh the height of the hurdles you will need to jump to get to them?

Managed updates

At LIS, we only roll out new software and updates when we know they can help make your business more efficient. This will save you time and money. Our clients benefit from managed upgrades.

If you would like to learn more about the software solutions that could be helping your business towards a more profitable future, contact the LIS Help Desk.

LIS – SECURING YOUR DIGITAL WORLD

#microsoft #updates #BlueScreenOfDeath