But it’s rapidly being supplanted by products like the Windows 10 Semi-Annual Channel and Office 365 that follow the Modern Lifecycle Policy. For a few more years, software sold under the Fixed Lifecycle Policy is still alive and kicking. That 10-year support lifecycle is rapidly fading away, as Microsoft moves to its “Windows as a service” and Office 365 subscription models. (For details on what each support phase means and how end-of-support dates are calculated, see the end of this post.) That assurance of support is especially important for business customers, who tend to be conservative in their approach to upgrades.įor more than a decade, the support lifecycle for each new version of Windows or Office was 10 years, with mainstream support for five years and extended support for another five years. As I’ve noted before, it’s basically an agreement that the company makes with everyone who purchases a license to use its core products, Windows (desktop and server) and Office. Microsoft has a well-established support lifecycle for its software products.
If that abbreviated lifecycle seems like a major change from previous versions, welcome to the “Windows as a service” era. To continue receiving monthly security and quality updates, you need to install a newer feature update from the Semi-Annual Channel. If your organization is running Windows 10, Apmarks an important milestone.įor Windows 10 version 1607 (the so-called Anniversary Update), that date marks the official end-of-service date. And the deadlines for Windows 7 and Office 2010 are just around the corner. For Windows 10, the support clock runs out sooner than you might expect. “Set it and forget it” is no longer an option for the software that runs your business.
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