Exchange Server 2016 & 2019 Reach End of Support

In a move that could impact organizations still running on-premises email infrastructure, Microsoft has officially confirmed that Exchange Server 2016 and Exchange Server 2019 will reach end of support on October 14, 2025. That’s just six months away—so it’s time to start planning.

What Does “End of Support” Mean?

After October 14, 2025, Microsoft will no longer provide:
•  Technical support
•  Bug fixes that affect server stability or usability
•  Security updates
•  Time zone updates
Your Exchange 2016 or 2019 server won’t suddenly stop working, but you’ll be running it at your own risk—and any issues you run into will no longer be supported or patched by Microsoft.

What Should Organizations Do Next?

1. Assess your current Exchange environment—do you have any instances of 2016 or 2019 still running?
2. Discuss upgrade or migration options with your IT or infrastructure teams. Microsoft has outlined two supported upgrade paths:
   1. Migrate to Exchange Online: This is Microsoft’s preferred option. For many organizations, this is the long-term strategic direction, especially given the move toward hybrid and fully cloud-native setups.
   2. Upgrade to Exchange Server Subscription Edition (SE): If you need to maintain an on-premises environment, Exchange Server SE will be available in July 2025. Keep in mind that this version will require a subscription license model and a commitment to stay up-to-date with regular updates. Microsoft has indicated that SE will be the only supported on-prem Exchange offering going forward.
3. Begin planning your timeline to complete migrations or upgrades before October 2025.

Next Steps

If you’re supporting customers, stakeholders, or internal departments, now is a great time to raise awareness and help guide the planning process—and our team is here to help. Learn more in Microsoft’s official blog post.