The days of buying software once and having a perpetual license to use it are coming to an end as businesses including Microsoft have embraced a subscription model.
The US software giant will no longer sell one-off licenses for Office 2019 as part of its Home Use Program (HUP) as it tries to encourage customers to opt for an annual subscription instead. HUP is a program which allows employees at eligible companies to buy the same Microsoft products they use at the office for their homes.
In the past, employees were offered discounted rates for perpetual licenses but now they will have to purchase a subscription with a 30 percent discount which means that a year of Office 365 Personal will cost them $48.99 while a similar subscription to Office 365 Home will cost $69.99.
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In a revised FAQ regarding the HUP program, Microsoft confirmed the change, saying:
"Office Professional Plus 2019 and Office Home and Business 2019 are no longer available as Home Use Program offers."
Home Use Program
Now if an employee purchases a subscription through HUP, it will extend any existing Personal and Home plans they may already have. Additionally after buying a subscription at the discount all future renewals will be at the lower price and this is even true if the buyer no longer works for the organization through which they initially purchased their subscription.
According to the FAQ, the only requirement to remain eligible for a HUP discount is that “you maintain recurring billing on your subscription”.
Microsoft continues to offer perpetual licenses in several forms and the company has said that there will be at least one more follow up to Office 2019.
However, the subscription model isn't going away any time soon and it has now become a requirement for businesses and individuals who want to continue using the software they're familiar with.
- Also check out the best Microsoft Office alternatives in 2019
Via Engadget
