I receive a lot of questions from customers asking if they should upgrade to the latest version of Microsoft Project. And why not? As of right now I work with clients who have all of these versions: Microsoft Project 2003, 2007, 2010, 2013 and 2016 as well as Project Pro for Office 365.
Making the Case for the Upgrade
Here are some reasons why you might want to upgrade:
- You have experienced a software bug that has been fixed in a later version;
- Your company has software assurance and upgrades are included with this service;
- Your current version is out of the support period by Microsoft, which means that service pack updates or bug fixes are no longer available;
- You feel a new feature could solve a problem you’re having or could add business value; or
- You have Project Server or Project Online, and you need to keep your Microsoft Project versions aligned with your enterprise software.
Curious about end of life for your Project software. Here’s how it worked for Project 2007: | |||
Program name | Release Date | Service Pack End Date | Support End Date |
Project Professional 2007 | 1/27/2007 | 1/13/2009 | 10/9/2012 |
Project Standard 2010 | 7/15/2010 | 1/13/2009 | 10/9/2012 |
For Project 2010 Pro and Standard Project 2010 Server, here are the crucial dates: |
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Products Released | Lifecycle Start Date | Mainstream Support Date | Extended Support Date | Service Pack Support End Date |
Project Professional 2010 | 7/15/2010 | Not applicable | Not applicable | 7/10/2012 |
Project Standard 2010 | 7/15/2010 | Not applicable | Not applicable | 7/10/2012 |
Project Server 2010 | 7/15/2010 | 10/13/2015 | 10/13/2020 | 7/10/2012 |
If you’re using Project 2013 Pro or Standard, here are the dates to care about: |
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Products Released | Lifecycle Start Date | Mainstream Support Date | Extended Support Date | Service Pack Support End Date |
Project 2013 Standard | 1/9/2013 | 4/10/2018 | 4/11/2023 | Unannounced |
Project Professional 2013 | 1/9/2013 | 4/10/2018 | 4/11/2023 | Unannounced |
Making the Case for Staying with the Same Version
Here are some reasons why you might want to keep the same version:
- In my experience, lots of larger corporations upgrade software only every three years;
- If you’re not using Project Server or Project Online, you may not need critical updates to continue running your projects;
- Software bugs have workarounds that you’re satisfied with;
- You would have to incur an additional software or hardware expense to deploy the update;
- You have budget restrictions; or
- You don’t have software assurance, and you’re trying to get the most out of your existing purchase.
The next time you have this discussion internally, think about these points. They’ll help you rise above the marketing hype and make the decision that’s best for your organization.
Do you take other factors into account when you’re deciding whether to upgrade your applications? Share them with the MPUG community in the comments below.
A version of this article originally appeared on Cindy Lewis’ blog.
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Jill Baird
Project Server 2013 dates
Product: Microsoft Project Server 2013
Lifecycle Start: 1/9/2013
Mainstream Support End: Review Note
Extended Support End: Review Note
Service Pack Support End: 4/14/2015
Note: See Service Pack listing below for dates
Products: Microsoft Project Server 2013 Service Pack 1
Lifecycle Start: 4/17/2014
Mainstream Support End: 4/10/2018
Extended Support End: 4/11/2023
Note: Support ends 12 months after the next service pack releases or at end of the product’s support, whichever is first.
Cindy Lewis
Thanks Jill for adding in Project Server.
Cindy Lewis
Thanks Kevin for sharing your thoughts.
Peter Wrisley
Another reason not to upgrade are issues encountered when crossing organizational boundaries. For instance, as an independent consulting project manager, I frequently have a more current version than my partners or the client organization. “Down saving” to an earlier version often has incompatibilities and sharing PDF output is not an option.
Cindy Lewis
I believe your only option right now is via Microsoft 365 and obtaining a subscription to Project Online Professional. I have a client who was is in your situation and they had to search through some boxes to find their original CD of Project 2016.