Exchange 2016: Support ends 2025, Microsoft recommends planning the switchover
Microsoft advises planning the switch from Exchange 2016, as it will no longer be supported in 2025. However, this also applies to Exchange 2019.
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Microsoft advises Exchange server admins to start planning their migration now if they are still using Exchange 2016. Extended support for Exchange 2016 will end in October 2025 - and also for Exchange Server 2019. However, there will be an in-place update for the latter.
In atech community post, Microsoft's Exchange team writes that Exchange Server 2016 will finally come to an end on October 14, 2025. While there will be an in-place upgrade to Exchange Server Subscription Edition (SE) at that time, Exchange Server 2016 must first be decommissioned.
Microsoft instructions for decommissioning, on-premise installations
The Techcommunity article explains how IT managers can remove the old Exchange Server 2016 from environments in which Exchange 2019 is already running. Anyone wishing to upgrade to Exchange 2019 should use the Exchange Deployment Wizard, which provides customized step-by-step instructions for their own environment.
If you want to continue using Exchange in your own network under your own full control (on-premise), you should switch to Exchange 2019 as soon as possible, the Exchange team recommends. Only this version supports the upcoming in-place upgrades to Exchange SE - which, incidentally, is the first time in many years that an Exchange release has enabled an in-place upgrade. The decommissioning of Exchange 2016 and the switch to Exchange 2019 should take place now if possible in order to be prepared for the simple in-place upgrade to Exchange SE, if it is available.
The guide leads administrators through the migration process. The Unified Messaging role no longer exists in Exchange 2019, so the guide does not cover it, Microsoft's Exchange experts add.
Exchange SE is the future for Microsoft. Exchange Server will only be available as a subscription model. The fact that Exchange SE will only be released shortly before the end of support for the Exchange servers concerned has been the subject of criticism for some time.
(dmk)
