Microsoft Office has been a big part of many businesses since 1988, and has undergone a vast number of changes; transforming from simple word processing, to a full suite of applications to support ever-changing business needs across the globe, all the way to the cloud-based structure we see today.
This year marks the end of the extended support period for the Office 2010 package. Microsoft have announced that Office 2010 will officially be End of Life from 13th October 2020.
After this date, you will no longer be able to:
- Receive technical support from Microsoft
- Receive bug fix patches
- Receive security fix patches
- Recieve any stability or feature updates
- Download office 2010 from Microsoft
Additionally, after 2021, Microsoft has announced that Outlook 2010 will no longer work with Exchange Online via 365.
So what does this mean for you?
While many may be concerned about how they will continue to work, the applications will not cease to function. You will still be able to use all the apps and continue to use and access files created within any of these.
However, it is very important to be aware of the increasing dangers of using out of date software.
The longer end of life software is used, the greater the risk to your cyber security. This is because cyber attackers will use exploits found in old software that will permanently be open loopholes as they are not being covered by security update releases. This means that you may be putting your business at serious risk of exposure to data breaches and become vulnerable to confidential data being accessed or corrupted by malicious third parties.
What should you do next?
Users of Office 2010 will have been used to reliable coverage of the basic requirements, but there are many features that have been added to the latest Office suites including (but not limited to):
- Cloud based apps, available online via any smart device or laptop
- Online collaboration with access to Microsoft Teams allowing you to share your work and communicate
- OneDrive online storage to enable transfer and sharing of documents across an organisation
- Enhanced security, real time security patches and updates applied, as well as features like ransomware protection, password protected sharing and file recovery.
The latest Office products are available On-Premise, with Office 2019 or as a Monthly, per user subscription basis, with Microsoft 365 (formerly known as Office 365). We recommend Microsoft 365 as a subscription for greater flexibility and long term benefits. Find out more about why you should consider using Microsoft 365 in our blog post.
Its time to look to the future and choose the right Office suite to suit your business needs. Please feel free to reach out to us on 0345 370 1444 or info@symetri.co.uk if you would like to discuss migrating to Microsoft 365 or Office 2019.
