Insights
As support for Microsoft Office 2010 comes to an end, we examine everything you need to know
This article was originally published by Techsoup Canada. Charity Digital would like to thank the author, Joyce Hsu.
Support for Microsoft Office 2010 is scheduled to end on October 13th, 2020, with no extension or extended security updates from Microsoft.
If your charity is among the companies still using Microsoft Office 2010 programs, it’s time to start planning your next Microsoft Office upgrade before October in order to avoid security risks.
The good news is that your charity has plenty of free and affordable upgrade options, such as free and discounted subscriptions to Microsoft 365, or Microsoft Office Standard 2019 from Charity Digital Exchange.
Support for Windows 7 ended on January 14, 2020. Even though Microsoft Office 2010 will be supported until October 13, 2020, Windows 7 is no longer supported by Microsoft since January 2020. If you’re still using Windows 7, we highly recommend that you upgrade your operating system as soon as possible!
Microsoft has a support lifecycle for all of its programs, during which they provide fixes to known issues, bugs and security patches. This lifecycle typically lasts 10 years and starts from the date of the product’s initial release.
When a program reaches the end of its support lifecycle, Microsoft will no longer provide:
While your Microsoft Office 2010 programs will continue to function, you will be exposing yourself and your organisation to serious and potentially harmful security risks by using an unsupported program.
Because Microsoft Office 2010 will no longer receive security updates after October 2020, we strongly recommend that you upgrade before the end of life deadline.
The best way to protect yourself and your organisation is to upgrade to a newer version of Office:
Microsoft Office Standard 2019 is available to eligible charities on a donated basis from Charity Digital Exchange. It is the latest version of the on-premises version of the office suite and includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneNote, and Publisher.
Microsoft Office Standard 2019 may be a good option for you if:
*NOTE: You need to have Windows 10 as your operating system in order to install Microsoft Office Standard 2019
Microsoft 365 is an all-in-one cloud solution with a number of different licensing options to fit your organisation’s needs. Many cloud subscriptions also include installed versions of the application so you can have the same look and feel of the Office applications you are accustomed to using, but built with more robust features and benefits.
Microsoft 365 may be a good option for you if:
Basic versions of Microsoft and Office 365 are available to Charities at no cost. To get started, simply complete our Microsoft Cloud Solutions form.
We recommend small to medium-sized organisations (up to 300 staff/volunteers) to consider Microsoft 365 Business Premium.
This specific license comes with desktop versions of Office apps: Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote (plus Access and Publisher for PC only), as well as the Windows 10 and Enterprise Mobility + Security components. It is designed for small and medium-sized organisations under 300 users.
The best part is that eligible charities can get the first 10 seats at no cost.
Additional benefits include:
To find out more, download the free ebook, Crash Course in Microsoft 365 Business for Nonprofits.
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