Today, October 14, 2025, Exchange Server 2016 and Exchange Server 2019 reach end of support. It’s critical to upgrade now to remain supported and secure.
Microsoft will no longer provide technical ...
Updated Oct 14, 2025
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Moving online costs significantly more than running my own email server. Moving online exposes me to the unpredictable and fairly regular down times on the Internet in general. Moving online when I have strict backup requirements for my business adds a very large expense, compared to running my own backups in-house. Finally, moving online is going to change the user experience enough that it is no longer a deterrent to move to a non-MS email server that I can run in-house for the long run without any hassles. If I'm going to change things up I'm going to take the opportunity to get off the treadmill. The lack of SE licensing at this point is concerning. I am compelled to do the research and look at alternatives because it feels like the walls are closing in. It's email. It's not rocket science. I just need to send and receive email and calendar items. I don't need "AI" or "new features and technologies". I just need an email server. If MS squeezes any harder on this I'm pulling the cord. Give us the license, stop gouging us, stop trying to force OUR businesses to do things for YOUR benefit. Software and computers are tools we use to serve us, not the other way around. That's why we pay for them. Not so that they can dictate how we do everything and bleed us dry. Frustrated. Can't get a straight answer on licensing from mainstream vendors, because they have no information either.
Nino_Bilic
Microsoft
MicrosoftFirst off, let me just say that I agree that you should absolutely do what is right for your business, whatever that ends up being. Software landscape has been changing and those changes might mean that some might have to look for alternatives.
On licensing of Exchange SE, there is a section in the following post that talks about 3 paths organizations have: Upgrading your organization from current versions to Exchange Server SE | Microsoft Community Hub. Since Exchange 2019, Exchange Server requires addition of Software Assurance (SA) as a subscription component and that remains the same (there is no licensing change between Exchange 2019 and Exchange SE).
The last thing I wanted to mention is that - while Exchange SE is on Modern Lifecycle Policy, we have already committed to supporting it until at least 2035 and wrote about it here: Additional Support for Select Server Products Following Modern Lifecycle Policy - Microsoft Lifecycle | Microsoft Learn