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andrea_rinaldi's avatar
andrea_rinaldi
Copper Contributor
Jun 03, 2026

need exchange se for hybrid environment

We have a hybrid Office 365 environment with an Exchange Server 2016 that no longer performs any role. It does not host any mailboxes and is not used as an SMTP relay.

We would like to keep an Exchange installation solely for administrative purposes through the GUI.

Questions:

1. Can we keep Exchange Server 2016 installed?

2. If we need to install Exchange Server Subscription Edition (SE), do we need licenses for this installation, considering that all our Office 365 licenses are Business licenses?

Thank you.

 

exchange
Licensing & Activation
microsoft 365
microsoft 365 migration

1 Reply

  • Kidd_Ip's avatar
    Kidd_Ip
    MVP
    Jun 04, 2026

    Yes, you can keep Exchange Server 2016 installed for hybrid management, but Microsoft now recommends moving to Exchange Server Subscription Edition (SE) if you want ongoing support and updates. The free “hybrid license” option still exists, but it does not cover update rights so you are required to have Software Assurance or Microsoft 365 E3/E5 licenses to remain supported. learn.microsoft.com/en-us/exchange/exchange-hybrid