back to article In Microsoft land, cloud comes to you! Office 365 stuff to be bled into on-prem Office 2019 Server

Microsoft threw a commercial preview bone to cloud-phobes* this week in the form of on-premises versions of its Server and Office applications. While the software giant really, really wants its customers snugly ensconced in the loving embrace of Office 365, realists within Redmond Towers accept that a large portion of their …

  1. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    So...????

    So, perhaps start packing your bags for Azure if you want to stay on Microsoft's server platform through the next decade.

    So... no AWS or GWS or any other 'cloud' service provider support then?

    And for those who need 'security' On-premises Cloud?

    I really hope that MS aren't going down this route. One of the advantages of going to the cloud is that you can have your backups on a different provider.

    1. TheVogon

      Re: So...????

      "those Office 2019 installations will also need Windows 10"

      No LTSB support though. It won't run on that at all. But seeing as LTSB is specifically not for standard desktops that run MS Office that shouldn't be a problem for anyone that listened!

      1. Sandtitz Silver badge
        Holmes

        Re: So...????

        "No LTSB support though. It won't run on that at all. But seeing as LTSB is specifically not for standard desktops that run MS Office that shouldn't be a problem for anyone that listened!"

        Technically you're right. Won't work on LTSB. However...LTSB is to be renamed LTSC and the next version (due this year) will support Office 2019.

        Also, LTSB works just fine as a desktop. MS is just trying to usher companies to use the regular Windows 10 editions (and therefore get more users for Store/Edge/Cortana etc.)

  2. Dwarf

    The business takes priority

    The thing they are not getting is that people deploy all these systems so that they can get some real work done within their business and any time spent faffing about with IT is generally an overhead cost rather than a profit centre.

    Changing IT systems generally involves a lot of testing and impacts on other connected systems, which is why people try to leave systems alone for as long as possible.

    The "benefits" of an always-up-to-date (based on the suppliers view of whats important), may be very nice in theory, but we've all seen what happens with Windows 10 with its constant patches and updates - none of that delivers any value to the bottom line of the company in >90% of cases - the last 10% being when a required feature unblocks something that is actually needed by the business, not the vast majority of change which has no value - changing the IU, adding xbox gaming, dumping some other apps that you thought might be handy etc.

    Now add in all those companies who have security or regulatory requirements that are not compatible with cloud.

    None of this is rocket science, just deliver the products that customers actually want, rather than doing change for change's sake and generally making it more difficult to use the products due to licencing changes or other artificial barriers that just try and force your viewpoint without understanding the customers need.

    1. Wellyboot Silver badge
      Joke

      Re: The business takes priority

      Be like the Microsoft dominatrix - force your customers to do what you tell them!

    2. Jay Lenovo
      Holmes

      Re: The business takes priority

      Perfect sense...Microsoft's business is getting business to support their business.

      The MS defined curmudgeons who think their business needs to exist at a less profitable level are to be squeezed and reformed (maybe slowly).

      Such are the drawbacks in buying comodity IT from a "Macro-soft". Your concerns will be addressed as a matter of scale and profit.

    3. phuzz Silver badge

      Re: The business takes priority

      IT is generally an overhead cost rather than a profit centre.

      Well, yes, IT is almost always a support role, you don't expect your janitor to be a profit centre do you? So why would you expect IT to be?

      As for change in IT, that's a constant. We all read this article because we wanted a bit of a preview of the changes that a lot of us will be implementing at work in the next few years, it's part of our job.

  3. Domquark

    Reality

    Redmond said: "We want to support all our customers in their journey to the cloud, at the pace that makes the most sense to them,"

    This really reads as: "We don't give a shit about you really, just as long as you hurry up and store your data on OUR systems and pay us loads of money for the privilege".

    1. JohnFen

      Re: Reality

      I particularly like how they assume that "journeying to the cloud" is inevitable, even though it's certainly not.

      1. Franco

        Re: Reality

        They assume it is inevitable, as the average PHB loves buzzwords. They won't be using the cloud, they'll be leveraging an agile private cloud or some other such nonsense. They don't use technology, they integrate it in to their workflows.

        If Microsoft could just get Blockchain in there as well they'd have a stampede to migrate...

      2. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Reality

        "I particularly like how they assume that "journeying to the cloud" is inevitable, even though it's certainly not."

        Exactly why I am starting the migration from windows in some of our security zones. Don't really trust MS anymore (havent for a while) with their licensing, along with their push to cloud, where these zones can not have any direct access to the internet, only select servers can, which need to be proxied to a lower security zone get their data from there. Which would get its data from the internet via another proxy.

        So how can you go 'cloud' when you are required to have the hardware in house and not connected to the internet?

        That was a problem our parent company had when they cancelled the enterprise agreement for office and moved to office 365, I asked, how were they intending on supporting high security zones that cant connect to the internet. The response, we didn't think of that. erm, you will have to buy office 2016 licenses.

        The push to the 'cloud' is idiotic. Especially microsoft and their want to get everyone on theirs. They are pushing people away from their own OS, neglecting software that people use to get them to use the 'cloud'. When it finally goes back to on premise again, which it will (cycles and all), they will have lost the home and enterprise market.

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: Reality

          I wonder if the City of Munich is kicking itself yet?

        2. Rockets

          Re: Reality

          I work in mining. Office 365 is useless if your on a satellite connection like some of our sites are. Other cloudy services for process control networks that are firewalled off from the rest of the network are pretty useless too.

      3. Mine's a Large One
        Unhappy

        Re: Reality

        "I particularly like how they assume that "journeying to the cloud" is inevitable, even though it's certainly not."

        It is for some of us.

        Even though we've tried to use common sense and logical arguments to suggest it shouldn't.

  4. JohnFen

    One of the benefits

    "those users obviously don't see all the goodies that regularly appear in Office 365 updates"

    That's one of the benefits of not using 365.

  5. Ken Moorhouse Silver badge

    This is the first thing that came into my mind as I read this...

    http://www.bandituk.co.uk/

    Or for those of you using nanny-knows-best browsers:-

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9AlQYgT8g6o

  6. ma1010
    WTF?

    OneDrive

    Don't know how much this applies to other OneDrive users, but where my wife works, they've implemented Win 10 and OneDrive, taking away their network shares. The folks in the office refer to OneDrive as the "Black Hole" because they've had lots of files disappear there. Sometimes they get them back later, sometimes not. They've gotten in the habit of keeping their critical files on USB sticks now so they can actually get them when they need them.

    I suppose it's a good thing for some, but personally, the more I hear about cloud, the less I like it.

  7. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Office 2019 installations will also need Windows 10

    yet another reason not to buy yet another variant of office :)

  8. Doctor Syntax Silver badge

    the "Modern" treatment, which Microsoft hopes will lead to more appealing and easier to navigate sites.

    A triumph of hope style over experience. Or was that a typo for "appalling"?

  9. SVV

    pay tribute to the holy king of cloud word processors

    forever and ever, amen

    1. a_yank_lurker

      Re: pay tribute to the holy king of cloud word processors

      Or join us heretics and use LibreOffice.

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