Microsoft today announced it is discontinuing InfoPath, its software for designing, distributing, filling, and submitting electronic forms with structured data. The company says it plans to invest in new forms technology across SharePoint, Access, and Word.
As a result, InfoPath 2013 is the last release of the desktop client and InfoPath Forms Services in SharePoint Server 2013 is the last release of the services suite. The company plans to support InfoPath products as follows:
- The InfoPath 2013 client will be supported through April 2023.
- InfoPath Forms Services for SharePoint Server 2013 will be supported until April 2023.
- InfoPath Forms Services in Office 365 will be supported until further notice.
Microsoft says it is working on migration guidance while also building its next generation of forms technology. “Until we have more detailed technology roadmap and guidance to share with you, we encourage you to continue using InfoPath tools,” the company says.
For now, Microsoft will only reveal the following about its vision:
Industry trends and feedback from our customers and partners make it clear that today’s businesses demand an intelligent, integrated forms experience that spans devices. We are looking to make investments that allow you to easily design, deploy, and use intelligent, integrated forms across Office clients, servers, and services—forms that everyone can use on their PC, tablet, or phone. Our goal is to deliver tools that are flexible and agile, so you can quickly connect to your data and processes in new and exciting ways.
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More details on migration scenarios and guidance will be released in the fourth quarter of 2014. The company also plans to share more information on the new forms capabilities in SharePoint, Access, and Word “throughout the year,” specifically promising a sneak peek in March at the SharePoint Conference in the “InfoPath and SharePoint Forms Roadmap” session, which will also be posted online soon after.
Top Image Credit: Eric Piermont/Getty Images
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