Microsoft has split its Office suite into two distinct offerings (Office 365 and Office 2019 Volume License) that have an impact on which features are available within the apps depending on how the product is licensed.
This guide is intended to provide clarification on the differences between these versions, as well as steps for switching from one version to another.
This guide is currently focused on macOS versions of Office. Office for Windows has similar differences between versions.
ETS is currently developing a process that will allow users of CAMPUS domain joined Windows computers to change their Office version through the Software Center application. We will publish info as it becomes available.
| Office 365 ProPlus | Office 2019 – Volume License | |
|---|---|---|
| Included Applications | Outlook, Word, PowerPoint, Excel, OneNote | |
| Collaboration Features | Includes full access to collaboration features like simultaneous editing of documents and integration with OneDrive, Office Online, and Microsoft Teams. | Limited integration with Microsoft web apps like OneDrive or access to Office Online web apps. |
| Licensing | All students, faculty and staff members can install and activate Office 365 ProPlus on up to 5 different devices at a time. | Can be installed on any UVM owned computer. |
| Feature updates | Receives the latest features and updates as well as security updates and bug fixes. | Receives security updates and bug fixes only. |
| Use cases |
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A thorough list of differences between Office 365 ProPlus and Office 2019 versions are available here.
Find your current Office version
macOS - Locate your Office version
- Open any Office application (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint). In this example, we’ll be using Outlook.
- In the top-left corner, select the Outlook menu. Then click “About Outlook“.
- Your version of MS Office will appear in the “License:” info.
Office 365 ProPlus Office 2019 – Volume License 
If you’d like to switch your version of MS Office, please see the “Switch your Office version” section of this guide.
Switch your Office version
macOS - Switch to a different version of Microsoft Office
This guide assumes that you’re using a UVM owned, managed macOS computer
- Quit any Office applications that are currently running (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint).
- From the Applications folder, locate and launch the Managed Software Center app.
- Use the “Quick Links” drop-down menu on the right-hand side of the app to select Productivity.
- From here you can choose to install Microsoft Office O365 or the Microsoft Office 2019 Volume License versions of Office. Choose whichever makes the most sense for your desired use case.
FAQs and Troubleshooting
How do I activate my Office 365 ProPlus applications?
The first time you launch an Office 365 ProPlus app (Word, Outlook, Excel, PowerPoint), you’ll receive a prompt to sign in to activate.
- Enter your UVM email address (example: jshmoe@uvm.edu), then click “Next”
- Enter your UVM NetID credentials
- Upon successfully entering your credentials, Office 365 ProPlus will activate!
How do I install the Managed Software Center application?
UVM owned macOS computers should have the “Managed Software Center” application pre-installed. If your UVM owned computer does not have the Managed Software Center app you can install it by following the steps below:
Requirements:
- An active Internet connection
- If off-campus, you need to connect using the Cisco AnyConnect VPN client.
- Part of the installation process will require you to reboot your Mac. Please save your work, then quit any applications you have open before proceeding.
- Click the link below, then select “Open in Finder” to connect to the software share. You will need to enter your NetID and password to connect: cifs://files.uvm.edu/shared/software/Deploy/munki/
- Click-and-drag the UVM-Munki-Client.pkg file to the Desktop of your computer.
- Double-click the UVM-Munki-Client.pkg to start the installation process.
- Click “Continue“
- Click “Install“, you will receive a prompt to enter the password to your computer.
- The installer will remind you that a restart is required to complete the installation. Click “Continue Installation“.
- Recent versions of macOS will prompt for additional permissions. Click “OK“.
- The installer will prompt for a preferred software manifest. Choose “Default“.
- Choose the “Department” manifest.
- Click “Restart” to complete the installation.
How do I manage my Office 365 device licenses?
All current students, faculty and staff members are licensed to install and activate Office 365 ProPlus on up to FIVE computers. iOS and Android installs do not count against your available licenses.
Office 365 ProPlus becomes licensed and activated when you sign into the application with your NetID credentials. In the event that you’ve installed and activated Office 365 ProPlus on more than five computers, you can sign-out of unused systems to free up a license for a different device.
- Navigate to https://portal.office.com/account/
- Enter your UVM email address (example: jshmoe@uvm.edu)
- If prompted, choose “Work or school account”
- Select the “Apps & devices” menu, then expand the “DEVICES” toggle. You will see a list of devices that are currently activated. Click the “Sign out” link to remove a license from devices that are no longer in use.
- You can now activate a new Office 365 ProPlus installation with your available licenses.
The Teams button is missing from Outlook Calendar on macOS
If the Teams meeting button is missing from Outlook for macOS, please see our Missing Teams meeting Button in Outlook for macOS guide.