Microsoft will make Office 2019 only work on Windows 10, according to the software giant in a blog post on its website. The first preview versions of the included apps are scheduled for the second quarter of this year. The final version should ship in the second half of 2018.
To use the new Office apps, Windows 10 is required. This only affects the separate version of the Office 2019 suite, not the paid Office 365 subscriptions that users can also purchase. On older versions of Windows the new Office 2019 apps won't work. Companies that still run older Windows versions like Windows 7 or Windows 8.1, won't be able to use Office 2019. The alternative for them is to continue using older Office versions or subscribing to Office 365.
The Office suite will consist of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Skype for Business. Also, server software is included such as Exchange Server, SharePoint Server, and Skype for Business Server.
Microsoft also announced mainstream support of 5 years for Office 2019, the company will provide extend support for 2 years. In total the software giant will support the software for 7 years, that's less than the usual 10 years for other Office versions.
Microsoft writes on its website that the shorter life cycle is because, “As the pace of change accelerates, it has become imperative to move our software to a more modern cadence.”
