Microsoft Office 2019 Will Be Released Next Year

Despite spending the best part of the past decade trying to convince users to move the subscription-based Office 365, Microsoft has confirmed the next ‘perpetual’ version of the suite will be released next year.

Microsoft Office 2019 will debut in the middle of 2018, delivering updates to Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook, along with its servers for Exchange, SharePoint and Skype for Business.

Office 365 promises constant updates, the ability to access and share files across multiple devices and simplified management for IT departments.

Microsoft Office 2019

Offline applications are available for subscribers, but Microsoft told its Ignite conference in Orlando that it recognised not all of its customers were ready, or were unable, to make the move to the cloud.

“Office 2019 will add new user and IT capabilities for customers who aren’t yet ready for the cloud. For example, new and improved inking features—like pressure sensitivity, tilt effects, and ink replay—will allow you to work more naturally,” said Jared Spataro, Office General Manager, at the company’s Ignite conference.

New formulas and charts will make data analysis for Excel more powerful. Visual animation features—like Morph and Zoom—will add polish to PowerPoint presentations. Server enhancements will include updates to IT manageability, usability, voice, and security.

“Cloud-powered innovation is a major theme at Ignite this week. But we recognize that moving to the cloud is a journey with many considerations along the way. Office 2019 will be a valuable upgrade for customers who feel that they need to keep some or all of their apps and servers on-premises, and we look forward to sharing more details about the release in the coming months.”

Office 365 has proved massively successful for Microsoft, with more than 100 million active subscribers. It has announced a slew of updates at Ignite, including GDPR compliance tools and a more prominent role for Slack competitor Microsoft Teams.

Quiz: What do you know about Microsoft Office?