Microsoft recognises that not every business is ready for the cloud, which is why they developed Office 2019: a standalone Office package that makes no use of cloud.
This is fantastic news for businesses that are still evaluating their path to the cloud, but who still need Office functionality.
Once-off
Office 2019 is a boxed product containing a product key that is used to download the software from Microsoft’s website.
Microsoft says Office 2019 is a once-off release, containing enhancements that are a “sub-set” of features that have been added to Office 365 over the last three years. This means it comes with plenty of fantastic features – that will never need to be updated.
Enhanced
Here are Office 2019’s enhancements:
- The ability to create cinematic presentations with PowerPoint features like Morph and Zoom
- New data analysis functions in Excel, including new formulas and charts and enhancements to PowerPivot
- Focused Inbox for Outlook, which moves less important emails out of the way
- Enhanced security and streamlined administration for IT admins
In the coming weeks, Microsoft has indicated it will also release Exchange Server 2019, Skype for Business Server 2019, SharePoint Server 2019, and Project Server 2019.
On-Premise Still Lives
Andrew Firman, Microsoft Product Manager at Tarsus Distribution, had this to say about the software:
“Microsoft calls Office 365 the best, most secure version of Office with the lowest cost of ownership, so there can be little doubt about where it is focusing its energies. Yet it is pleasing to see that it continues to support on-premise versions of Office for customers unwilling or unable to move towards the cloud.”
Office 365 still the best value
Office 365 will always be the very best version of Office, as it continually evolves with new features. From a business perspective, it also offers resellers the best value.
“With the newest releases of Office for the cloud and the desktop, Microsoft aims to entice end-users away from on-premise versions of the software,” says Firman.
“Resellers can benefit from this shift by enjoying annuity revenues. But they must make sure to remind their customers to renew their Office 365 subscriptions every 11 months. This is also a great opportunity to contact customers and sell-in value added services.”
Not coming to 2019
Features Microsoft has explicitly announced for Office 365 that won’t be coming to Office 2019 include futuristic “AI experiences”:
- Ideas, which helps people tap into the power of AI with one click of a mouse. This launches intelligent recommendations in Office applications;
- Background blur in Microsoft Teams, which uses facial detection to blur your background during video meetings; and
- Take a picture of a table on a phone and quickly convert it into an Excel file that can be edited, analysed and shared using Insert Data from Picture in Excel
Catering to Needs
So, there you have it: Microsoft is playing to all of its bases with the release of Office 2019. This allows resellers the option to offer their customers versions of Office that cater to their needs, whether they’re already in the cloud or still thinking about it.
Interested in finding out more about Office 2019, or placing an order? Andrew Firman at Tarsus Distribution can help. You can contact him via the switchboard on 011 531 1000, or you can send him an email.
