Office 2010: End of Support
As they say, all good things must come to an end and Microsoft has announced the end of support (EOS) for Office 2010 and a few other products from 2010. This means that bug fixes, support, and critical security updates will no longer be available. Without action, this will create the potential for security vulnerabilities.
Which products are affected?
Here is a list of the software that is EOS on October 13, 2020:
- Exchange Server 2010 (all editions)
- Office 2010 (all editions)
- Word 2010
- Excel 2010
- OneNote 2010
- PowerPoint 2010
- Publisher 2010
- Access 2010
- Project 2010
- Visio 2010 (all editions)
- Office 2016 for Mac (all editions)
- Excel 2016 for Mac
- Outlook 2016 for Mac
- PowerPoint 2016 for Mac
- Word 2016 for Mac
What options do I have?
While the software itself might still be functional, we strongly recommend upgrading to a newer version or to a paid subscription to ensure that your company is secure. Start by figuring out if the license(s) are still in use, if so, we’d recommend looking at a Microsoft 365 subscription. This is a monthly fee but will always have the latest updates and will never be dealt the harsh EOS blow. You will also have access to a number of awesome tools like Microsoft Teams, ToDo, Planner, Stream, and Forms. Microsoft continues to pour resources into creating an integrated platform that works together seamlessly.
An additional option to consider is buying a standalone Office 2019 license, you can check out the new features here. It might be a good time to look at the life cycle of your computers as well to see if you have any that need upgrading or replacing.
Risks of staying put…
The end of support of both Exchange 2010 and Outlook 2010 on October 13, 2020, is important to note as this represents the end of Microsoft’s support for basic authentication. Basic authentication is now considered insecure and hackable. Many organizations have already moved to use modern authentication based on the OAuth 2.0 protocol which notably allows for multi-factor authentication. With the security landscape that it is today, multi-factor authentication is a necessity to protect your email and your online identity from fraud and theft.
We all know that change can be difficult, confusing, and costly, and removing older applications can be hard. This is why we urge our clients to be proactive about reviewing their aging hardware and software (like Office 2010) and give themselves the time they need to implement modern authentication and multi-factor authentication. We are here to help you navigate the change and make the best decisions to keep your team up and running. Our method is to partner with our clients and work side by side to unlock the power of technology whether that is upgrading you to Office 365 or replacing that old desktop no one remembers in that back closet, we are here to help.
Schedule a Power Hour, a free 30- 60 minute consultation, with one of our Microsoft experts to plot out a plan forward.
Worksighted Team
We are a team of over-enthusiastic people, ready to help our clients utilize technology to spur growth! We love technology and come to work every day eager to solve problems and find ways to impact our clients.
