Microsoft puts Office Online Server on the chopping block
Summary
Microsoft has announced that Office Online Server (OOS) will be retired on 31 December 2026. After that date Microsoft will no longer provide security fixes, updates, or technical support for the product. The vendor says it is prioritising cloud-first experiences and is directing customers to Microsoft 365 and Office for the Web.
OOS supplies browser-based Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote for organisations that prefer on-premises web editing. The retirement also affects integration with certain SharePoint Server and Exchange Server configurations (SE editions), and will remove some PowerPoint-related features for Skype for Business Server users — presenter notes, high-fidelity rendering, in-meeting annotations and high-quality embedded video playback will be impacted. Microsoft suggests Microsoft 365 Apps for Enterprise and Office LTSC 2024 as alternatives, and recommends Teams for modern meeting experiences.
Office Online Server launched in 2016 as the successor to Office Web Apps Server 2013. There is no announced on-premises successor to OOS, leaving customers who must keep data and processing on-premises with limited options.
Key Points
- Office Online Server will reach end of support on 31 December 2026 — no more security fixes, updates or support after that date.
- Microsoft is steering browser-based Office usage to Microsoft 365 (Office for the Web) as part of a cloud-first strategy.
- On-premises users of SharePoint Server SE and Exchange Server SE will lose OOS integration; those servers remain supported but without OOS features.
- Skype for Business Server customers will lose several PowerPoint-related features (presenter notes, high-fidelity rendering, in-meeting annotations and high-quality embedded video playback).
- Microsoft recommends Microsoft 365 Apps for Enterprise and Office LTSC 2024 as viewing/editing alternatives; Teams is recommended for meetings.
- No direct successor to Office Online Server has been announced — organisations preferring on-premises browser-based editing will need to plan migrations or alternatives.
Content summary
The story explains Microsoft’s formal retirement plan for Office Online Server and the practical consequences for organisations running on-premises browser-based Office services. It outlines which server products and features will be affected, gives Microsoft’s recommended migration paths, and notes the lack of any new on-prem replacement. The article highlights the narrowing choices for customers who want on-prem web editing without moving to Microsoft’s cloud services.
Context and relevance
This move fits a wider industry trend: major vendors are consolidating features into cloud SaaS offerings and reducing investments in on-prem variants. For organisations with regulatory, privacy or latency reasons to remain on-premises, the announcement is consequential — it forces decisions about continued use of Office LTSC, migration to Microsoft 365, or seeking third-party or custom on-prem solutions. IT teams should assess security, feature gaps and migration effort well ahead of the 2026 deadline.
Author style
Punchy: This is a clear vendor nudge — Microsoft is pulling the plug on a niche on-prem product and pushing customers to 365. If you manage on-prem Office web apps, this isn’t trivia: it demands action now.
Why should I read this?
Heads up — if you run Office web apps on-prem or use Skype for Business Server, this affects you. The retirement means lost security updates and features unless you move or find alternatives. Short version: plan migration, budget for changes, or risk running unsupported software after 2026.