Exchange Server 2016/2019 end of support

Exchange Server 2016 and Exchange Server 2019 end of support is on October 14, 2025. Many organizations are running Exchange 2016/2019 and are unsure what to do next after support ends. In this article, you will learn the available upgrade paths for both Exchange Server 2016/2019.

What does Exchange Server 2016/2019 end of support mean?

Most Microsoft products have a support lifecycle during which they get new features, bug fixes, security fixes, and so on. This lifecycle typically lasts for 10 years from the product’s initial release. The end of this lifecycle is known as the product’s end of support.

Exchange 2016/2019 reaches the end of support on October 14, 2025, and Microsoft will no longer provide:

• Technical support for problems that may occur
• Bug fixes for issues that may impact the stability and usability of the server
• Security fixes for vulnerabilities that may make the server vulnerable to security breaches
• Time zone updates

Note: Your installation of Exchange 2016/2019 will continue to run after this date. However, because of the above changes, we strongly recommend that you migrate from Exchange 2016/2019 as soon as possible when Exchange Server SE is available.

Exchange 2016/2019 end of support options

There are a couple of options for migrating to a supported Exchange version:

Path 1: Stay on-premises

1. Install Exchange SE when available
2. Migrate Exchange 2016/2019 to Exchange SE
3. Decommission Exchange 2016/2019

Path 2: Migrate to the cloud (hybrid)

1. Install Exchange SE when available
2. Configure an Exchange Hybrid deployment and migrate mailboxes to Exchange Online
3. Decommission Exchange 2016/2019
4. Keep Exchange SE or decommission SE (depending on your organization)

Note: You will keep Active Directory on-premises (Authority), and Azure AD Connect will sync all the changes to the cloud (Azure AD).

Path 3: Move to the cloud

1. Configure an Exchange Hybrid deployment and migrate mailboxes to Exchange Online
2. Decommission Exchange 2016/2019
3. Remove Active Directory on-premises

Note: You will not have an Active Directory on-premises and Azure AD Connect. The whole organization is in Azure AD (cloud).

Here are the three paths you can take to avoid the end of support for Exchange Server 2016/2019:

You can install Exchange Server SE in coexistence with Exchange Server 2016/2019.

Conclusion

Upgrade your Exchange Server 2016/2019 before it reaches end of support. This means to Exchange Server SE when it becomes available or to Microsoft 365. Software should always stay up to date with the latest security fixes to protect the organization. The sooner you start to create a plan and migrate, the more time you have for any issues that come up.

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