License and buy Microsoft Office 2021? Here’s what to look out for! 

It is unthinkable for many organizations: working on a laptop or computer without the familiar programs Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Word, Outlook, and PowerPoint. These well-known programs are all part of Microsoft Office.   

If you want to license Microsoft Office, you have several choices, for example, you can choose the Microsoft 365 annual subscription or the one-time purchase Microsoft Office 2021. In this article, we’re going to talk about Microsoft Office 2021 and what to look out for if you want to start licensing this software in your organization.  

What is Microsoft Office 2021?  

Microsoft Office was originally introduced on August 1, 1989, when it was nothing more than a marketing term for a software bundle from tech giant Microsoft. In the meantime, Microsoft Office has become Microsoft’s office software package. There are several ways to license Microsoft Office. One such way is Microsoft Office 2021.  

If you choose to license Microsoft Office 2021, you’ll make a one-time purchase, which is available for a single device. You can choose from a variety of packages (more on this later) that make your day-to-day business easier, such as Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, and Word. The 2021 edition of Microsoft Office is compatible with Windows 11 and Windows 10. In addition, Office applications are optimized separately for each device and platform. The available Office applications can therefore differ between, for example, laptop and MacBook users.  

Until when will Microsoft Office 2021 be supported?  

Microsoft Office 2021, as the name suggests, was launched in 2021. As 2021 is already three years ago, many of our customers are wondering until when Microsoft Office 2021 will be supported. The answer to this is until October 2026. Until then, Microsoft will simply release updates with improvements, possibly new functionalities, and fixes for security problems. However, just because Microsoft Office 2021 is supported until 2026 doesn’t mean you won’t be able to use it after October 2026. It still all works fine, but maybe not on the latest Windows version anymore. In addition, no more updates will be performed if security vulnerabilities are found.   

Choose Microsoft Office 2021 today and lay the foundation for success! License today!  

What is the difference between Microsoft Office 2021 and Microsoft 365?  

Many of our customers confuse Microsoft Office 2021 with Microsoft 365, but there are some major differences between these two software bundles from Microsoft.   

First, let’s briefly explain what Microsoft 365 is and what you can do with it. Microsoft Office 365 is a software bundle on a subscription basis. This bundle consists of all kinds of programs that you will also encounter in Microsoft Office 2021, such as Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, and Word. These programs can be installed on multiple devices, such as laptops, iPads, phones (both Android and iPhone) and Macbooks. In addition, Microsoft 365 also offers services such as 1 TB of storage on OneDrive, sixty minutes of Skype per month and chat/phone support from Microsoft. With the Microsoft 365 subscription, you will also automatically receive the latest updates.   

Microsoft 365 and Office 2021 have quite a few differences. First of all, Microsoft Office 2021 is a one-time purchase, and Microsoft 365 is a subscription where you pay periodically. In addition, Microsoft Office 2021 does not include services that are provided with a Microsoft 365 subscription, such as chat and phone support. Also, one-time purchases such as Office 2021 do not have update options, you will receive one version and you have to make do with that. Do you want to upgrade to the latest version? Then you need to purchase it for the full price.  

The different packages of Microsoft Office 2021  

Microsoft offers various packages when it comes to Microsoft Office 2021. To make it clear for you, we explain all the different packages below:   

Microsoft Office Home & Student 2021: This is the most basic package of Office 2021. It includes Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, and Word. Because this package does not contain Outlook, it is most often purchased by private individuals, mainly students as the name suggests.   

Microsoft Office Home & Business 2021: this package will be slightly more extensive than the Home & Student package. In this package you will also find Outlook, in addition to Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint and Word.   

Microsoft Office Standard 2021: This package is also known as the “standard” package of Office 2021. It includes Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, Word, Outlook, OneNote, and Publisher. If you are self-employed, this could be an ideal package for you. It has everything you need and is still payable.   

Microsoft Office Professional 2021: this package is already going to focus more on the needs of the business market, hence the name “professional”. The package includes Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, Word, Publisher and Access.   

Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2021: this is the last and most complete package that Microsoft offers for Office 2021. It includes the following programs: Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, Word, Outlook, OneNote, Publisher, Teams, and Access.   

Is Microsoft Office 2021 right for my business?  

There are several reasons for an organization to choose one of the many Microsoft Office 2021 packages. Microsoft Office 2021 is a good choice for your business if:   

• You’d rather not be tied to a subscription. If you purchase Microsoft Office 2021 once, you no longer have to worry about recurring costs. You pay once and that’s it. Especially if you are just starting out with your business, this is a great option.  
• You are not interested in having all programs fully up to date at all times, after all, the most important thing is that all programs work properly.  
• You don’t want to pay too much. If you plan to use Microsoft Office for a longer period of time, then the Office 2021 packages are a good investment. On average, you will have earned back your Microsoft Office 2021 package after about ten months.   

You should also know this, everything about used Microsoft Office 2021  

After reading our article, you have probably also read about used Microsoft licenses. These are Microsoft licenses that are no longer used by the first buyer. These Office licenses are then purchased by other customers. With this, you can easily save 50% or more when you compare that to new Office 2021 licenses. It is good to know that these are on-premises licenses and not cloud licenses Office 365. The used license market has become an important market since 2012 when the European Court of Justice ruled positively on the sale and purchase of used software licenses after years of litigation.  

Purchasing Microsoft Office 2021 for your organization?  

Of course, we hope that after reading this article, you know exactly what to look for when purchasing Microsoft Office 2021 for your organization. But we also understand that it is suddenly a lot of information, and that sometimes you need someone to look over your shoulder to see if you are making the right choices.   

Fortunately, at Q-Advise we have years of experience with the services and licenses of tech giant Microsoft. We can therefore help your organization on its way if you are planning, or are still orienting, to purchase Microsoft Office 2021 for your organization.   

In all the advice we give, we look at the interests of your organization, and not the interests of Microsoft. We are an independent company. Do you also want someone who looks with you and advises you about Microsoft Office 2021 in your organization? Please contact us.   

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