Microsoft has confirmed its intentions to launch a new version of Microsoft Office for Mac and Windows, without the need for an annual subscription.
Speaking in a blog post announcing an update to its Exchange server, Microsoft said “Microsoft Office will also see a new perpetual release for both Windows and Mac, in the second half of 2021,” confirming the company’s plans to remove the SaaS aspect from the popular suite of tools.
Recently, Microsoft has been pushing Microsoft 365, which is an annual subscription service that offers access to tools such as Word, PowerPoint, Excel, and Outlook, on top of features such as SharePoint, and Skype for Business.
In recent years, consumers have been growing increasingly frustrated with software developers for switching to subscription-based models. Microsoft announced Office 2019 as a standalone product last year, but many feared it would be the last time the developer offered its software as a one-time purchase. Today’s news should offer some reassurance.
We don’t know exactly what the new Microsoft Office will cost or when it will launch, but it’s exciting to see that there’ll be a new standalone product coming before too long.
Are you interested in a one-off Microsoft product? Let us know and check back soon for more news.
