[Campus Notice] Important Update: Changes to How You Access Microsoft Office 365 Applications

[UCR Information Technology Solutions]

Good afternoon,

I am reaching out to inform you about Microsoft’s recent changes to
education licenses
<https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/education/products/office-365-a1-plus>,
which affects the free license you are currently subscribed to through your
affiliation with UC Riverside. As announced by Microsoft, they are
discontinuing this license structure beginning August 1, 2024.
Key Change

To ensure you do not lose your current access to Office 365 applications
(Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.), UCR is providing you a complimentary A1
license effective August 1. While this license provides continued access to
the tools via office.com <https://www.office.com>, please note that it does
not include the desktop applications.
What This Means for You

   -

   You will continue to keep and access your UCR email address as part of
   your benefits.
   -

   If you primarily use online Office applications: You won't experience
   any disruptions and can continue working as usual. This article
   <https://beebom.com/microsoft-office-web-vs-desktop-apps-difference/>
   explains the differences between the online apps and the desktop apps.
   -

   If you primarily use the Office desktop applications: You will need to
   transition to accessing your Office tools online at www.office.com. If
   access to desktop applications is important for your work, consider
   upgrading to a paid license through Microsoft. You would need to directly
   contact Microsoft to purchase the desktop app bundle for Microsoft
Office. Visit
   the Microsoft website
   <https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/buy/compare-all-microsoft-365-products>
   for the plan and pricing comparison.


We understand that changes to tools can be disruptive. If you have
questions or require assistance during this transition, please reach out to
me at lily.barger at ucr.edu.

Thank you for your attention to this matter.


Sincerely,

Lily Barger

Director of Campus Support

Information Technology Solutions

University of California, Riverside





*Please Note: This email account is not monitored by ITS staff. If you
require technical support, please take one of the following actions:*

   - Visit the ITS website at its.ucr.edu to find self-help articles,
   submit and track support tickets, request IT services, and more.
   - For live support, you can contact the BearHelp helpdesk during normal
   business hours (M-F, 8am-5pm) at 951-827-4848
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <https://lists.ucr.edu/pipermail/tech-bulletin/attachments/20240726/4d4f14c0/attachment.html>