Update 6/13/2025: Please see our new blog post for updated timelines of releases as well as additional details on how to get from current versions of Exchange Server to Exchange Server SE: Upgrading ...
Updated Jun 13, 2025
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Still trying to wrap my head around licensing... I know this is supposed to follow the SharePoint SE model, but that's not making it any easier for me to suss this out.
Can someone from Microsoft (or knows about Microsoft licensing) or perhaps someone who has licensed SharePoint SE provide a little insight into what I see are two possibilities (with the ultimate goal of minimizing the cost to the customer)?
1.) Purchase Exchange Server 2019 with SA and Exchange 2019 User CALs with SA NOW and renew up to one time for a total of 6 years of SA entitled Exchange 2019/SE, upgrading to SE when it becomes available. (With Exchange SA potentially being offered again 6 years from now, but no guarantee). This effectively puts us on the SA track for at least 6 years starting now. (If after 6 years, SA is no longer available, at that time, switch to the Subscription track, in perpetuity).
OR
2.) Wait until closer to October 2025, purchase Exchange Subscriptions per-user for SE (I guess no pricing is known yet), plus whatever the cost of the Exchange Server SE is at the time. Migrate from 2016 to 2019 then in-place upgrade to SE in quick succession, around October 2025. Effectively puts us on the Subscription track, in perpetuity, starting around October 2025.
Even if folks don't know the actual answer, if this situation seems similar to you, how are you leaning, and what is your reasoning?
Thank you for your time.