Hi,
The choice of Microsoft 365 Apps for business or Office LTSC (Long-Term Servicing Channel) depends on your organization's specific needs, budget, and attitude towards software updates. Here's a look at different considerations to help you decide which one is right for your small business:
Benefits of Microsoft 365 Apps for Business:
- Continuous updates: Microsoft 365 Apps for Business provides continuous feature updates to ensure that your business is always using the latest version of Office apps, which is especially important for businesses that rely on the latest technologies and security patches.
- Cloud service integration: Includes cloud storage (OneDrive), online collaboration tools (such as Teams), and other productivity tools for remote work and team collaboration.
- Cost flexibility: With a monthly or annual subscription, you can easily adjust your spending as your business grows or shrinks.
- Scalability: A variety of plans are available, ranging from small businesses to enterprise-level plans, and you can choose the most suitable subscription type according to your business needs.
Benefits of Office LTSC:
- Fixed costs: Buy a one-time perpetual license with no long-term subscription fees, making it ideal for small businesses with a limited budget and infrequent software updates.
- Stability: Office LTSC provides a stable platform that avoids the compatibility and stability risks associated with frequent updates, and is suitable for businesses that are satisfied with existing features and want to avoid changes.
- Control: Having complete local control and not relying on an internet connection or external server may be more appealing to certain data-sensitive industries.
If your small business needs the latest features, security, values cloud storage and collaboration, and is willing to accept a cost structure of a subscription model, Microsoft 365 Apps for Business is a better choice.
Conversely, if you're looking for a solution with predictable costs, no need for continuous updates, and a preference for on-premises control, Office LTSC may be a better fit for your needs.
For Office apps running on Windows Server, whether Microsoft 365 Apps for business or Office LTSC, they can be installed on the server operating system, but there are some key points to note:
Microsoft 365 Apps for Business allows Office applications to be installed on a server, but is primarily used in Terminal Services or Remote Desktop Services (RDS) scenarios, where multiple users share the same set of Office applications via Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP). However, using Office directly on the server for day-to-day office work is not a recommended use case, as the license terms often limit the use of Office in a server environment.
Office LTSC can also be installed on a server, but its use is limited by specific scenarios. Office LTSC is intended for use in Terminal Services environments, i.e. for RDS or VDI (Virtual Desktop Infrastructure), but is not licensed for use as a "workstation" on a server.
If you are still unsure which product to choose based on the information above, you can consult an IT consultant or try a trial version of Microsoft 365 to make a more informed decision.
Hope the information is helpful.
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