Microsoft puts Office Online Server on the chopping block

"Microsoft will kill Office Online Server next year, creating a headache for anyone using on-premises Office web applications and the beleaguered holdouts sticking with Skype for Business Server. The retirement is scheduled for December 31, 2026. After this, there won't be any more security fixes, updates, or technical support from Microsoft. "This change is part of our ongoing commitment to modernizing productivity experiences and focusing on cloud-first solutions," the company said."

"Office Online Server provides browser-based versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote for customers who want to keep things on-prem without having to roll out the full desktop applications. Microsoft's solution is to move to Microsoft 365, its decidedly off-premises version of its applications. The company said it is "focusing its browser-based Office app investments on Office for the Web to deliver secure, collaborative, and feature-rich experiences through Microsoft 365.""

"Skype for Business customers will also lose some key features related to PowerPoint. Presenter notes and high-fidelity PowerPoint rendering will go away. In-meeting annotations, which allow meeting participants to write directly to slides without altering the original file, will no longer be available, and embedded video playback will run at lower fidelity. Features like whiteboards, polls, and app sharing shouldn't be affected."

Microsoft will retire Office Online Server on December 31, 2026, and will stop issuing security fixes, updates, and technical support after that date. Office Online Server currently supplies browser-based Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote for on-premises customers who avoid full desktop deployments. Microsoft is steering browser-based Office investments toward Office for the Web within Microsoft 365 and is encouraging migration to cloud-first solutions. SharePoint Server and Exchange Server customers will lose Office Online Server integration and are pointed to Microsoft 365 Apps for Enterprise or Office LTSC 2024 as alternatives. Skype for Business Server users will lose several PowerPoint-related features and fidelity.

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