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In order to ensure better functionality, performance and stability for your latest products, Microsoft has a policy that consists of discontinuing technical support for older versions of a particular product as new updates emerge.
How does Microsoft Project Server support work?
Microsoft offers two types of support for your products, being the support conventional and support extended. The difference between them is the amount of support time Microsoft guarantees for each product.
In case of conventional support, it has a certain period of years since the launch of the product, being a free support. After that deadline, or rather, as your version is outdated, in addition to Microsoft not adding new features, this type of support is closed. However, it still offers the possibility of hiring patches, i.e. the extended support (which also has a deadline).
Below we list the main versions of Microsoft Project Server and the respective expiration dates of conventional and extended support:
| Products | Support Start | End of Support Conventional |
End of Support Extended |
|---|---|---|---|
| Microsoft Office Project Server 2003 | 18/09/2007 | 14/04/2009 | 08/04/2014 |
| Project Server 2010 | 19/07/2013 | 13/10/2015 | 13/10/2020 |
| Project Server 2013 | 17/04/2014 | 10/04/2018 | 11/04/2023 |
| Project Server 2016 | 01/05/2016 | 13/07/2021 | 14/07/2026 |
| Project Server 2019 | 22/10/2018 | 09/01/2024 | 14/07/2026 |
What does the end of technical support for Microsoft Project Server mean?
Microsoft offers the vast majority of its products a life cycle of technical support, and during this time it offers features, bug fixes and security updates.
At the end of this cycle Microsoft will no longer provide:
- Technical support for problems that may occur;
- Error corrections discovered and that may affect server stability and usability;
- Security corrections to discovered vulnerabilities that can make the server vulnerable to security breaches;
- Timezone updates.
That is, if the user has the Microsoft Project license Server 2016, it no longer has free support from Microsoft, as it was inspired by 13/07/2020. If it opens a call with Microsoft, it will be notified that it is not possible to service this product. In this situation, the client must hire extended support or update Microsoft Project Server for a newer version (generally the most recommended).
Why does Microsoft set that deadline?
The deadline exists precisely to induce users to always be with the updated products, using the best versions and enjoying all the resources. In this way, Microsoft can always ensure that its customers are achieving the best functionality and performance, as well as reducing the chance of risks.
Currently it is possible to obtain conventional support only from the 2019 version. Therefore, to avoid future problems, we strongly recommend that your company's IT team be attentive to the years of validity of technical support, and if necessary, check the need to migrate or update your product.
If you want to know more about the end of Microsoft support or about migrations from Microsoft Project Server versions, please contact us for more information.
Revised on 07/08/2022.
Original content from the MLPro editorial library, fully preserved and translated for the English website.