Microsoft Office Licensing Guides

If you buy software for yourself or your company, it is important to know how Microsoft Office licensing works.

In this summary, we will explain some of the key points of the Licensing Guide so you can make a better and more informed decision when you buy from us.

We focus on the rights to use Microsoft Office for the Windows operating system purchased as a software product under a desktop application licence. This is often referred to as a perpetual licence.

Below you will find the licence agreements for Microsoft Office in commercial licensing:

Microsoft Office Pro device licensing.

Microsoft Office 2019 is licensed on a so-called "per device" basis. This means that each licence must be assigned to a single physical piece of hardware, which then becomes a "licensed device".

Customers who purchase commercial licence options are entitled to install and use the software as often as they wish on the licensed device, both on physical and virtual machines.

Remote access for Microsoft Office

Microsoft Office licences include remote use rights, which means that all customers can access this licence remotely, provided they have a licence.

When installing on a desktop, the desktop device must be licensed. The primary user of the licensed device can remotely access any Office software running on the licensed device from any other device.

Non-primary users can remotely access and use the Office software on the licensed device, provided the device they are using is also licensed for Office.
Hosting the applications on a dedicated server for remote access does not require a licence assigned to the server itself. However, all end users must connect to the server with a device that has a valid Office licence assigned to it.

Office licences for use with Windows To Go

Microsoft Office can be used on a USB drive with Windows To Go, as long as the work device is licensed for the following:

Windows 10 with Software Assurance for the Windows Desktop Operating System or a subscription licence for Windows Virtual Desktop Access.
Office Professional Plus 2019/2016 or Office Standard 2019/2016

Downgrade authorisation

Some customers with rights to newer versions of Microsoft Office can also use earlier versions of these suites. This is permitted under desktop application licences, which is known as "downgrade entitlement".

A customer can downgrade to previous versions of Microsoft Office software as long as the editions match. This means that a customer who owns Office Standard 2019 cannot downgrade to Office Professional Plus 2016.

The following table shows the downgrade permissions for the latest versions of Microsoft Office:

Advantages of Software Assurance

Although the benefits of Software Assurance vary by product and product group, the main benefits apply to all versions of Microsoft Office.

Software Assurance gives customers the right to upgrade to a newer version of Office software licensed with new version rights.

In short, this means that a customer can upgrade to the latest available version of their licensed Microsoft Office product during the Software Assurance period at no additional cost.

If you currently have a licence for the latest version of Microsoft Office and a new version is produced during the coverage period, your licences will automatically be updated to the latest version.

For example, people with an Office Standard 2016 licence could upgrade to Office Standard 2019 if the release was on a date when their Software Assurance was still active.

Microsoft Home Use Programme

A customer's employees can purchase Office 365 subscriptions for their personal use at a discounted price under Microsoft's Home Use Program.

Those who have purchased an Office 365 subscription under this programme at a price lower than the retail price can renew their subscription permanently at the same price, regardless of the customer's licensing status.

Do you have any questions?

For detailed and comprehensive licensing instructions, please refer to the official Microsoft Licensing Guide.

If you need further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact our customer service. Check back for more informative articles on productivity and modern technology.

At Licendi we offer product licences for every type of operating system. Whether it's Windows/Office or antivirus, we have everything at the guaranteed BEST price on the market.

Remember that you can always read a little more about Microsoft Office on our website or on the manufacturer's website.

Write us a comment or give us a call.

Yours sincerely,

Your Licendi team.