Starting October 13, 2020, Microsoft will bid goodbye to some of the company’s old software applications. All software products carry an expiry date. Being a software giant, Microsoft has so many different software products in its portfolio.
Microsoft to bid goodbye to 23 old apps
Some of these old software products by Microsoft are no longer relevant for users or those apps already have a better and more secure alternative from the software giant itself.
Following is the list of software products that will no longer receive updates starting next week:
- Access 2010
- Dynamics GP 2010
- Excel 2010
- Excel Mobile 2010
- Exchange Server 2010 (all editions)
- FAST Search Server 2010 (all editions)
- Groove Server 2010
- Office 2010 (all editions)
- OneNote 2010
- PowerPoint 2010
- Project 2010
- Publisher 2010
- Search Server 2010
- System Center Data Protection Manager 2010
- System Center Essentials 2010
- Visio 2010 (all editions)
- Word 2010
- Windows Embedded Standard 7
- Office 2016 for Mac (all editions)
- Excel 2016 for Mac
- Outlook 2016 for Mac
- PowerPoint 2016 for Mac
- Word 2016 for Mac
Similar to Adobe Flash Player or Internet Explorer 11, Microsoft always follows a brief lifecycle timeline that decides when a particular software will no longer receive maintenance in the form of security updates. Unless maintained or decided otherwise, all software products eventually reach their End of Life (EOL).
However, maintaining software is not the only decision-making factor here. When the company decides upon a certain lifecycle timeline for software, it’s often based on the projection for how long the product or service will be required or stay relevant for users.
For instance, when Adobe first introduced Flash player to power multimedia support within browsers in 1996, the company did not anticipate that someday in the future, it will have to pull the plug on the product it just launched or that day will be December 31, 2020.
The expiry of software is also determined by its relevancy. Adobe Flash Player is no longer required because the modern web browser technologies are far better and more reliable as well as secure.
Windows 10, version 1709 to retire next week
In addition to the list of Microsoft applications that will retire next week, the Windows 10, version 1709 (Enterprise, Education, IoT Enterprise) will also reach the end of servicing on October 13. Windows 10 users must upgrade to version 2004 to ensure security.
