Office LTSC 2024 from Microsoft closes the circle for PC programs and online subscriptions

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Subscription fatigue is a real problem, and parts of the tech industry may finally be starting to respond to it. Three years after its last perpetual Office license, Microsoft has released Office 2024 LTSC for general consumers. While Microsoft is quick to remind you that they think a 365 subscription is better, the fact is that many people don't want to pay a subscription, and an Office perpetual license offers just that.




What's particularly interesting about this release, however, is that Microsoft has long been rumored to be considering eliminating perpetual Office licenses and forcing consumers to only use Microsoft 365. It became such a hot topic as Microsoft said in its FAQ for Office 2019 that it still intends to release “on-premises” (perpetual) packages beyond Office 2019, saying the following:

Moving to the cloud is a journey with many considerations. As such, we remain committed to on-premises customers and plan to release additional versions after Office 2019.


Given the rumors that had been building up to that point, many assumed that Office 2021 might be the final version againMicrosoft confirmed that there will be another perpetual license for Office in the future. Microsoft has not yet released an Office 2024 FAQ confirming further commitment, but at this point it seems pretty clear that Microsoft releases its Office suite every few years, allowing users to move on to the next one after the five-year support window expires can upgrade version.

With this in mind, one might think that a full shift to the cloud would benefit Microsoft, but given that Microsoft originally said in 2019 that “moving to the cloud is a journey with many considerations along the way,” this is certainly the case noises as if the switch to a subscription model was planned in the distant future. However, it doesn't seem to be an option anymore. So what happened?


Consumers are moving away from subscriptions

The cost of subscriptions adds up

Adobe Creative Cloud application showing Photoshop on a MacBook Pro

How many subscriptions do you pay per month? Probably quite a few, right? Companies have successfully normalized monthly payments, making them significantly more money in the long run than one-time payments, but this comes at a price. If companies are constantly competing for your monthly expenses, consumers will eventually fail. This is called subscription fatigue.


Many applications have moved to a subscription model rather than outright purchase, and Adobe's Creative Suite is probably one of the best-known examples. While you could previously purchase Photoshop, you can now only purchase it as a monthly or annual subscription from Adobe. The company even mentions this on the page where you buy Photoshop, where an FAQ at the bottom of the page states that you can no longer buy Photoshop directly.

In response to this, we have seen the rise of Photoshop alternatives, which have proliferated in recent years. The most famous of these is Affinity Photo. While a subscription is cheaper month-to-month and buying outright is more expensive, people are now aware that they spend less overall in the long run when they buy outright. In addition, less active monthly expenses are easier to budget for.


Likewise, DaVinci Resolve is another application that has gained traction given Adobe's subscription fee for Premiere Pro. Although it's a free application at its core, you can pay a one-time fee for the Studio version if you want, and it has almost all the features of Premiere Pro. DaVinci Resolve is also a fully functional program used by many studios in the creation of some blockbuster films. A recent example is that it was used for green screen/blue screen and on-set work Deadpool 2.


This means that the release of Microsoft Office LTSC 2024 appears to partially take into account the number of monthly subscriptions. Although Microsoft always intended to release an “on-premises” version of Office, there's a reason the company is still doing this at all, and as previously mentioned, this isn't the case Only Microsoft either recognizes the value of real ownership.

As already mentioned, streaming services also play a role. The highly decorated director Christopher Nolan, director of films such as InterstellarThe Batman trilogy and Oppenheimer recently encouraged his fans to buy Blu-Ray versions of their favorite films, explained in an interview with The Washington Post.


“Nowadays there is a risk that things that only exist in the streaming version will actually be removed. They come and go – as do broadcast versions of films, so my films will be on HBO or whatever, they will come and go.” But the home video version can always be there, so people can always access it.

While DVD sales are generally declining, these comments from Nolan, along with increasing awareness of the impermanence of streaming services, led to this Oppenheimer In the first week of DVD sales, the DVD sold out, and Universal Studios stated that they were working to replenish inventory as quickly as possible. Sure, you can pay a monthly fee to a streaming service, but why not just buy what you want and get exactly what you want? This logic is also starting to apply to more and more people in the software field.


Microsoft's Office LTSC 2024 could trigger a chain reaction

It's pretty clear that something needs to change

Office on Chromebook

I think given the rising cost of living and the power of alternatives to subscription services, it seems pretty clear that there will be some sort of shift. People don't mind paying subscriptions, but people don't want to pay too many Subscriptions. There are already talks of some streaming services merging, which suggests things may already be starting to change. Software subscriptions aren't going away, but depending on how successful Microsoft's Office release is, this could be a signal to the industry as a whole that full ownership is currently more attractive to consumers than a subscription.


Unless you really need the paid subscription versions, currently the free and entirely paid alternatives to Photoshop, Premiere and other services are just as good and don't require a subscription. While Microsoft appears to be somewhat resolute on the matter, it could be that other companies finally get the memo too.

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