Microsoft has made a significant change to the Home Use Program, which typically allowed employees from eligible companies with Software Assurance licenses to enjoy the same Office programs running on their PC at work, on their home PC. The company has removed Office 2019 from the program, and will push Office 365 Home and Personal as an option instead (via ZDNet.)
Microsoft explains that employees covered in the Home Use Program can now enjoy “the latest and most up to date products such as Office 365” It is a fitting move, as the company previously altered the Software Assurance program earlier this year to offer the consumer versions of Office 365, as well as Office 2019 at a discounted price.
Starting at the end of July however, Office Professional Plus 2019 and Office Home and Business 2019 will no longer be Home Use Program options at the steeply discounted rate of $15 per user. Instead, with the new changes, Home Use Program customers can purchase either Office 365 Home or Personal at a 30% discount. That adds up to roughly $70 a year for Office 365 Home, and $49 for Office 365 personal.
Customers who already purchased Office 2019 through the Home Use Program will still be eligible to get the same discounts on the Office 365 Home and Personal plans. And in the event if users already have an Office 365 Home or Personal subscription, a purchase through the Home Use Program will extend it at a discounted price, even if the user leaves the company. You can learn more about these changes here.
Further reading: Microsoft, Office, Office 2019, Office 365
