Used software versions from 2019 in the fast lane

The software “Office 2019 Standard” was by far the most in demand last year. usedSoft Managing Director Peter Schneider on the reasons: “It is not surprising that Office 2019 is so popular. The version has become technically mature and is not only reliable, but also much more cost-effective than its successor. In addition, buying used Office licences is a popular alternative for those who don’t want to move to the cloud and subscription model.” Last autumn, Microsoft had launched a new purchase version, Office 2021. Among IT experts, the sudden release caused a surprise. After all, the manufacturer has relied almost exclusively on its subscription and cloud model in recent years. “It seems that Microsoft has realised that many companies don’t want to have the 365 variant forced on them,” says Schneider. “Customers are concerned about data privacy breaches, security risks, and the dependency that such subscription models create.”
Sales figures for used Office 2019 licences had already increased tenfold in 2020. This was partly because many companies had to equip new home office workstations in the first Corona year. A trend that continued with the ongoing pandemic; demand remained at a high level. The previous version, “Office 2016 Standard”, also made it into the top 10 products. “The older version is still popular for quick and inexpensive additional purchases,” Schneider sums up. “For many companies, the range of functions is sufficient for everyday use.”

Windows Server sales up more than 20 per cent

The increasing demand for Windows servers was also noticeable. In this context, sales for “Windows Server 2019” increased by more than twenty per cent last year. Although Microsoft released the new 2022 version last summer, many companies preferred to use the 2019 version. Because the manufacturer itself only offers the latest version, Windows Server 2019 is now only available on the second-hand market. By purchasing such a used previous version, a saving of up to 40% is possible compared to buying new. “IT operations and modernisations in companies have increased enormously in recent years,” says Schneider. “The pandemic has further reinforced this trend. Many companies are taking the opportunity to renew their IT infrastructure. However, this does not mean that they are spending more than necessary in the current economic conditions. On the contrary. It’s a matter of using the budget as sustainably as possible.”

The Datacenter Edition, in particular, was much more in demand than before. In contrast to the Standard Edition, the Datacenter Edition allows an unlimited number of virtualisations. This means that any number of virtual machines can be set up on the hardware. “The demand for remote systems has increased massively, especially due to new work models,” says Schneider. “Companies must make sure to buy not only suitable, scalable server software but also the necessary access licences. Only then is it allowed to access a company server from laptops and PCs.” usedSoft has many years of experience in the software licence trade. The company was the first European provider to open up the second-hand software trade in the B2B market and today occupies a leading position in the market.