Office LTSC 2024: New tool for companies and government

Microsoft recently announced the launch of a new version of its Office LTSC 2024 office suite, which is aimed primarily at commercial and government customers. This separately licensed product is ideal for organizations that need a permanent software solution without the need for an Internet connection. Support will last for five years, during which time it will only see security updates, not new features.

What's new in Office LTSC 2024?

Office LTSC 2024 brings several improvements and changes over previous versions. The main new features include:

• OpenDocument 1.4 format support
  Although this format is not yet standardized, Office LTSC 2024 allows you to use it. Organizations working with ODF files can look forward to compatibility with the new version 1.4.
• Enhanced API for add-ins
  Excel now supports API version 1.17, Outlook version 1.14, and PowerPoint version 1.5. This allows developers to create more sophisticated and integrated add-ins for these applications.
• Disabling ActiveX elements
  ActiveX elements are disabled by default, but administrators can re-enable this feature as needed.
• Removing certain features
  For example, Publisher is no longer part of Office LTSC 2024 and Excel no longer supports publishing to Power BI.

Technology for specific needs

Office LTSC 2024 is designed for organizations that do not use cloud solutions or have specific software infrastructure requirements. It is a solution suitable for organizations where devices need to remain permanently disconnected from the Internet or for those that need a stable environment with no changes over an extended period of time.

This office suite includes most of the features that have been introduced to Microsoft 365 cloud applications over the last three years. These include dynamic charts and new text and matrix functions in Excel, improved search and appointment creation capabilities in Outlook, and overall improvements in performance, security, and accessibility.

Compared to Microsoft 365

Office LTSC 2024 provides familiar applications but lacks the cloud capabilities of Microsoft 365, such as real-time collaboration, AI-driven automation, or cloud security. It also does not support services like Microsoft 365 Copilot, which require an internet connection and a cloud subscription.

System requirements

Office LTSC 2024 is compatible with multiple operating systems:

- Windows 11

- Windows 10 (including LTSC 2019 and LTSC 2021)

- Windows Server 2022

- macOS 12 and later

The variant for ARM processors is only supported on Windows 11, and support for macOS will vary with system updates. Microsoft always supports the last three versions of macOS.

Conclusion

Office LTSC 2024 is an ideal solution for organizations that need a stable software infrastructure without the need for regular updates and internet connectivity. Although it does not bring cloud-based features and tools, it offers enough new features to satisfy the needs of companies looking for a reliable and self-licensed solution.