Microsoft’s upcoming November 2020 update has some direct impacts to users running macOS, especially if running macOS 10.31 or earlier. As of November 10, 2020, existing Microsoft 365 for Mac users running macOS 10.13 or earlier will not receive any further Office application updates. If the machine is upgraded to macOS10.14 or later, updates will be allowed to proceed on that computer.
With the Microsoft 365 for Mac November 2020 update, users running macOS must be running 10.14 Mojave or later in order to continue to receive updates for Office applications, and any new installs of Microsoft 365 for Mac will require macOS 10.14 or later.
Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and OneNote are the applications included which will no longer receive updates – including security updates – if the macOS they’re running on is too outdated.
Among the benefits of using Microsoft 365 is that the software is always kept up to date, including enhancements and new features as well as security and safety updates that help keep the software (and the associated data) more secure. You may continue with the older version of macOS, and your Office applications will continue to work. But losing out on updates not only keeps you from benefitting from the most current capabilities of the software (and getting full value from your subscription), but it also puts your security and compliance at risk.
Microsoft 365 applications are continuously updated with new features, connected services and enhancements to security. Modern operating system platforms are necessary to support some of these improvements, requiring users to update their computer operating systems as well as the applications running on them. With the Microsoft 365 November update, Mac users need to be running one of the three most recent versions of macOS to keep their Office applications recent, too.
Make Sense?
J
Cooper Mann Company 