Learn how to configure and use Microsoft Office licenses on Google Cloud with License Manager. This page also covers supported versions, installation media deployment, and billing considerations.
Supported versions of Microsoft Office
License Manager supports the following versions of Microsoft Office:
- Microsoft Office LTSC 2021 Professional Plus: $21.40 per user per month
- Microsoft Office LTSC 2024 Professional Plus: $21.40 per user per month
Microsoft Office LTSC is available on Compute Engine and Google Cloud VMware Engine.
For information about bringing your own license (BYOL) for Microsoft Office to Google Cloud, see the Microsoft Licensing FAQ.
Before you begin
Before you begin, ensure you meet the following requirements:
- Install Office LTSC on a Windows virtual machine (VM) running either a Windows Desktop OS or Windows Server.
- For Google Cloud VMware Engine, verify that VMware Tools is installed on the Windows VM.
- Ensure that your VM has outbound internet access during activation. Microsoft requires Office LTSC licenses from Service Provider License Agreement (SPLA) providers to activate over the internet directly with Microsoft servers. You can disable internet access after activation completes. For more information, see Install the License Manager agent.
Install Microsoft Office LTSC
Download the installation media for Office LTSC products directly from Microsoft by using the Office Deployment Tool (ODT). For deployment instructions, see the Microsoft guides for Office LTSC 2021 and Office LTSC 2024.
When configuring the Product ID attribute in your ODT configuration.xml
file, specify the volume licensing product ID for your edition:
- For Office LTSC 2021 Professional Plus, use
ProPlusSPLA2021Volume. - For Office LTSC 2024 Professional Plus, use
ProPlus2024Volume.
To migrate an existing VM from Office LTSC 2021 to Office LTSC 2024, see Migrate from Office LTSC 2021 to Office LTSC 2024.
Use your Microsoft Office licenses
License Manager manages and activates Microsoft Office licenses on Google Cloud. To enable your licenses, see Get started with License Manager.
Billing considerations
Review the following billing considerations when using Microsoft Office licenses with License Manager on Google Cloud.
Calendar month billing
License Manager bills Microsoft Office licenses by the calendar month in which they are authorized. Billing begins when you create a license configuration. License Manager does not prorate billing based on the creation date within the month.
If you deactivate a license configuration or reduce the license count, then you remain responsible for charges for the current calendar month. The reduction in authorized users takes effect at the start of the next calendar month.
When you increase the license count for an active license configuration, the increase takes effect immediately and appears on the current month's bill.
Authorized access compared to actual access
License Manager bills licenses based on the number of authorized users, regardless of actual software usage. You must purchase licenses for all users authorized to access the VM, whether or not they sign in.
Authorization begins when you create a license configuration. Verify that your configured license volume is accurate before creating the configuration, as you are billed for that amount for the current calendar month.
Enforced limits and overages
License Manager does not enforce hard limits on software access. You must ensure that the number of users accessing Microsoft Office does not exceed your authorized license count.
If License Manager detects that the number of users accessing VMs with Microsoft Office exceeds the authorized count in your license configuration, then Google Cloud treats the additional users as authorized and bills for the extra licenses in that calendar month.