Well, you probably shouldn’t be. On October 13th 2020 Microsoft finally stopped it’s extended support for the popular Microsoft Office 2010.
It has been more than 10 years since MS Office 2010 was first introduced, and it has seen more than 200 million users worldwide. During this time, the program has seen numerous updates that kept it operational and effective throughout its decade long lifespan, and even after it was surpassed by the 2013 version, and numerous versions since then, it has continued to be the cornerstone of many older businesses.
So when mainstream support for the package ended in 2015, many businesses decided not to update to the new version, as it still fulfilled their requirements. But now, even the extended support has come to an end, it’s definitely time to review your needs and look for an alternative.
The disadvantages of continuing to use Microsoft Office 2010
Current versions of Microsoft Office 2010 will continue to operate, and you could continue to use it for the foreseeable future with no issues. However, you might be putting yourself and your business at a serious disadvantage.
The most pressing concern for businesses still using MS Office 2010 is that if they encounter any problems – the phone and online support previously offered by Microsoft will no longer be available.
It also means that you can no longer obtain new versions, updates or licenses, so if you get new staff or new computers, you will no longer be able to install Microsoft Office 2010 onto them.
Up until October 2010, Microsoft have been providing bug fixes to update glitches or problems with the software. This will no longer happen; and most concerningly for businesses, they have also stopped providing security updates for the software. This could leave your systems, documents and data at risk and vulnerable to security threats.
And finally, sticking with an outdated program could mean that you are missing out on many of the new features that could make your business run more effectively and efficiently.
So what’s next?
Here at ICU, we only ever recommend new purchases and updates to systems if we genuinely believe you will benefit from it, and the newest version of Microsoft Office 365 offers a range of widely supported features, as well as regular upgrades, bug fixes and security updates that would prove beneficial for any business.
However, if as a business you don’t require the full Office 365 suite of features, (for example, if you use email from your domain host or have an on-premise Exchange for other technical or customer requirement reasons) we might recommend the most suitable and cost effective upgrade path for you is Office 2019.
The benefits of Office 365
Office 365 offers a whole host of new and exciting benefits that you will have been missing out on while still relying on Microsoft Office 2010. For example:
- Office Apps allows you to stay up to date with the latest versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.
- Outlook and Exchange allows you to use emails and calendars more effectively to stay connected with colleagues and clients.
- Microsoft Teams allow video calls, voice calls and team meetings remotely and virtually.
- One Drive cloud storage means you can access and manage your files from anywhere and any device.
- Microsoft forms will help you reduce the amount of paperwork by digitalising manual and repetitive forms.
- You can create surveys, polls, and questionnaires to easily obtain data and insights from colleagues and clients.
- Power Automate allows you to efficiently automate many simple and time consuming business tasks, saving you time.
- Enhanced security will protect your data, and protect you against viruses, malware, ransomware, and other digital threats.
- Simple management ensures it is easy to set up and manage users, new devices, and your documents and data.
All in all, Office 365 is the perfect business solution, providing a much improved user experience and many new features that will help you modernise your business, protect you from security threats and let you work more efficiently.
If you want to know more, or you need professional assistance to make the transition over to Office 365, or any upgrades to your business IT systems and software, simply get in touch. We pride ourselves on providing IT support in plain English, along with fixed rates to suit your budget.
