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Enterprise / Corporate Deployment How-To for IT Administrators

Overview

This guide helps IT administrators evaluate and deploy the Office Timeline Add-in for PowerPoint in environments that use Account-Based Licensing (ABL). It covers installation at scale (Intune, SCCM, GPO), required components, optional configuration flags, network access, and upgrade considerations.

Licensing is account-based: after installation, users activate by signing in with their Office Timeline account. No product keys are required.

System Requirements

Component Requirement
Operating System

Windows 10 (64-bit version; LTSB, CBB and CB), Windows 11
Microsoft Office Office 2019, 2021, Office 365, or Microsoft 365
.NET Framework Version 4.8
VSTO Runtime Microsoft Visual Studio Tools for Office 2010 Runtime (v10.0.60910) or newer
Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable Latest supported version
Microsoft Edge WebView2 Runtime Version 100.0.1185.50 or newer
.NET Programmability Support for PowerPoint Must be enabled in Microsoft Office (this is enabled by default in most installations)

Deploying the Office Timeline Add-in within a corporate environment

To deploy Office Timeline across your organization, follow the instructions below. These steps apply whether you distribute via Intune, SCCM, or other enterprise deployment systems.

Step 1: Obtain the installer

Download the latest OfficeTimeline.zip and extract it on a preparation system.

This package includes the OfficeTimeline.msi file used for automated deployments.

Step 2: Prepare target systems

Ensure that all target systems meet the System requirements and have the following software installed:

  • Microsoft Office 2019, Office 2021, or Microsoft 365
  • .NET Framework 4.8
  • VSTO 2010 Runtime (v10.0.60910 or newer)
  • Microsoft Edge WebView2 Runtime (v100.0.1185.50 or newer)

You can download the runtime components directly from Microsoft using the links in the System Requirements section.

Step 3: Configure your deployment system

Use your software distribution tool to deploy OfficeTimeline.msi.

Example command line for a silent install:

msiexec /i OfficeTimeline.msi /qn

This installs the add-in for all users on the machine. No license key or activation parameter is required. Users will activate by signing in after installation.

Important: The installation should execute in a user context (with a user logged in) to ensure a smooth first-run experience.

Step 4: Activation (Account-Based Licensing)

Once installed, users simply:

  1. Open PowerPoint.
  2. Launch the Office Timeline Add-in from the PowerPoint ribbon.
  3. Sign in with their Office Timeline account.

The add-in automatically detects the user’s assigned license from the Subscriptions page and activates the appropriate plan (Lite, Plus, or Expert).

If the user has no license assigned, the add-in will default to the Free plan until one is assigned.

Tip for IT administrators: You can pre-stage accounts and license assignments in the account Subscriptions page before deployment. Users will automatically receive their assigned plan upon sign-in.

Optional Installation Parameters

You can customize deployment behavior using optional MSI parameters:

Parameter Description
DISABLETELEMETRY=1 Prevents the add-in from sending usage data to Office Timeline.
DISABLECHECKFORUPDATES=1 Disables both automatic and manual update checks.
/qn Runs the installer silently (no user interface).

Example command:

msiexec /i OfficeTimeline.msi /qn DISABLETELEMETRY=1 DISABLECHECKFORUPDATES=1

Corporate Firewalls

If your organization restricts outbound traffic, make sure users can access the following endpoints to enable sign-in and licensing:

https://www.officetimeline.comhttps://api.officetimeline.com

These are used for authentication, seat validation, and update checks. If access is blocked, users will not be able to sign in or activate premium features.

Upgrading an Existing Office Timeline Deployment

If your organization already has the Office Timeline Add-in deployed from a previous release, you can update to the latest Account-Based Licensing (ABL) version using the same enterprise deployment process. No uninstall or manual activation steps are required.

Upgrading from a key-based version (legacy installations)

Earlier releases of Office Timeline used product keys or local license files for activation.

Starting with builds (v13.01.00.00 and newer), activation is now handled entirely through user sign-in.

When upgrading from a legacy deployment:

  1. Deploy the latest MSI package (version 13.01.00.00 or newer) using your existing software distribution tool.
  2. The installer will automatically uninstall previous versions before installing the new one.
  3. When users open PowerPoint after the upgrade, they’ll be prompted to sign in with their Office Timeline account to activate.

Tip: For a seamless transition, ensure that all users have active Office Timeline accounts before the deployment. Assigned licenses in the Subscriptions page will automatically be recognized upon sign-in.

Upgrading from recent ABL versions

If you’re upgrading from an ABL-enabled release (v10.0 or newer), deployment is even simpler:

  • You can deploy the new MSI directly. The installer automatically replaces the existing version.
  • Users remain signed in (unless explicitly signed out).
  • License and plan detection are automatic; no reactivation or reassignment is required.

Users who were on the Free plan before the update will remain Free until a seat is assigned to them in the Account Portal.

Mixed Environments

If some users in your organization are still running older, key-based builds, Office Timeline recommends upgrading all users to an ABL build to standardize authentication and licensing. The two systems can technically coexist, but license management will only apply to users on ABL.

Recommended upgrade checklist

  • ✅ Confirm all users have access to https://www.officetimeline.com and https://api.officetimeline.com.
  • ✅ Ensure your software distribution system replaces previous installations.
  • ✅ Verify user accounts exist in the Subscriptions page.
  • ✅ Remove old license-key scripts or GPO assignments; they are no longer used.