Forum Discussion
Support for M365 Apps (O365) on Windows 2022
We have a large number of Windows Server 2016 with M365 Apps (O365) and need to upgrade these servers now (end of support for WS2016 is Jan 2022).
The next server product to install for us would be Windows Server 2022, unfortunately there is no support for M365 apps (O365).
In general, it looks like the support of M365 Apps for Server OS will be discontinued 2025.
We want to get a statement from Microsoft as to whether Microsoft intends to support M365 Apps (O365) on Windows Server 2022 at some point.
Now we have to make a strategic decision.
The time is not long until 2025!
The way is not to AVD or Microsoft Azure HCI, but the way is away from the concept of application (or desktop) "remoting" and thus we as customers are no longer available for AVD and Windows 365!
First off I would like to thank everyone for the feedback and apologize for the delay in responding to this thread. Your feedback has made a difference, and sparked many internal discussions... we have customers running M365 on WS2016 and WS2019 today, and we want to enable staying current and secure being able to upgrade to WS2022.
<UPDATED EDIT> In response to your feedback we have announced support for M365 on Windows Server 2022, please see this link for additional information:
Windows Server end of support and Microsoft 365 Apps - Deploy Office | Microsoft Learn
Again, thank you for your feedback and passion!!
Elden Christensen
Principal Group PM Manager
Windows Server Development Team
- We have the same issue.
Please include support for Microsoft 365 Apps on Server 2022.- Where do we launch a formal complaint regarding this? greatquux is right, and we need to push back. We are already completely re-examining our platform choices for clients due to this change in policy.
- We are now about to say goodbye to RDS. We have 90% less RDS CALs and server cores to license and will bring our customers to other solutions in the next month. What a stupid decision by ms. They could still have cashed in for a workstation and terminal server...
- Mary Hoffman
Microsoft
Thank you for your question.
M365 Apps is supported on Windows Server 2016 & 2019 through October 2025 (see the support matrix at https://query.prod.cms.rt.microsoft.com/cms/api/am/binary/RE2OqRI).Many customers‘ workflows and solution setups deeply depend on hosting M365 Apps on their on premise server solutions. From my point of view there is simply no realistic possibility for moving the customers Remote Desktop services to AVD and not even W365. I do not understand Microsofts strategy behind this lifecycle concept. So the idea is if M365 Apps cannot be hosted on a supported client VM, customers need to migrate to Azure based hosting services?
What about AVD-on-HCI? The workload would still exist on-prem and you can leverage Windows 10 Multisession Hosts, keeping the VM count low.
Yes, there are a ton of questions still about licensing costs - the solution is not GA yet.
Will Office volume license edition be supported? I find this move a little bit strange, many companies are relying on Office 365 on Remote Desktop Services. You can't expect all of them to go to Azure, sometimes they even can't because of regulations. Another option would be to move to on-prem Windows 10/11 with Office 365 but that would take a lot more resources. Or maybe Windows 10/11 multi-user if that becomes available on-prem.
I'm not too worried though, MS did come back from its decisions before. Once the big companies start to complain that they need it and that they don't let them be pushed to Windows 365 MS will once again change its mind. You can't just kill this and leave a huge gap and try to force companies to the cloud. Same as forcing Edge on people, or the Windows 8 debacle, eventually it will just backfire.- There are no plans to auppprt on-prem, is basically what is being stated here. Yes? Interesting decision to throw away all those dark site, grey site and black site dollars.
JoachimKroneEldenChristensen - has there been a decision?- TJ_Devine
JoachimKrone Sorry for the delay -- we've had to dot a few i's on the business side, but as Elden shared we've been actively working on the topic. This morning we announced that, based on feedback from customers, we are updating our support policy for Microsoft 365 Apps on Windows Server 2022, available through October 2026 (mainstream support). The announcement is here: Windows Server 2022 adds support for Microsoft 365 Apps - Microsoft Community Hub and we'll have the support and documentation updated in coming days. Thank you for your patience!
Thank you TJ_Devine was to post it before I noticed you have already done so.
Is there any specific reason, why the announcement it posted on the Windows Insider Channel, rather than in the main? - edit - answered it myself. It is not announced to be supported but it is now in officially in preview state makes sense.
If you do not mind, I would like to add Windows Server vNext to be added to the preview just in case anyone would like to evaluate M365 apps for enterprise on the next-gen Windows Server. In this case we could reach clarity right from the RTM dat. What do you think?
- Just to close the loop: looks like official support came out with v2302 (released 2/28/2023): https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/deployoffice/endofsupport/windows-server-support#windows-server-2022
- Yes, we see that too. The way that page is written however, it almost makes it seem like another LTSC version of Windows (or Office!) will be released only grudgingly, with Microsoft always hinting that this may be the last time. This thread in general has moved from discussing that specific support item to trying to encourage Microsoft NOT to move to the "move fast and break things" philosophy... or the "make your customers pay more by dragging them to the cloud for everything"... we kind of need someone in IT to stay away from those ideas. Maybe it simply needs to go out of fashion?
Will the new One Outlook work on Server 2022 for RDP? If so, then can at least configure for exchange email and clients can use outlook. Also, if not One Outlook, just any future version of outlook that is not called Office 365?
In short want a solution for RDP on Server 2022 with standalone ver of Outlook.
- That is my issue too.
See https://vdnieuwenhof.eu/do-we-need-to-upgrade-to-windows-server-2022-for-rds-citrix/ and more; Outlook apparently is not supported on Windows 2022 but Office 2019 should work.
Can anybody confirm this?
- This is a pretty naked power & cash grab by Microsoft. They're basically saying - we have you over a barrel, and we're going to make you pay in the worst way possible. You will be forced to subscribe to every piece of software we release, whether it's Windows, Office, or Exchange. How long until they say they'll only support it in THEIR cloud? Because that's the next step.
rtravni42 we're facing same problem - strategic decisions how to handle onPrem RDS with M365 cannot wait until 2025. Provide multi-session Win10/11 for onPrem or keep RDS alive!
Really appreciate EldenChristensen looking into this! Keep going!
- EldenChristensen
F_Neumann just for awareness there is another on-prem option, Azure Virtual Desktop is coming to Azure Stack HCI. This will allow running Windows 10 and Windows 11 Enterprise multi-session virtual desktops on-prem. It's currently in preview:
Azure Virtual Desktop for Azure Stack HCI (preview) - Azure | Microsoft Docs
Thanks!
EldenYeah, but again you forgot Support for Multitanant Scenarios.
Sorry to say this, but all your team is delivering are peaces, not a working model for broad markets.
1) Get Multitanancy to ASHCI Sceranios
2) Get Support for M365 on Server 2022 BUT also be clear what the restrictions are
3) Get clear about the end of support for M365 in remote scenarios in 2025 and stay with your decision before everyone will put ton of investments into it and you rethink it in 2024...
SO make your homework, for all partners, not just for the enterprice customers....
- Honestly this is showing the middle finger to msp/csp. What about after 2026 when msps are not allowed to run m365 apps on Terminal server?
Run everything on azure and fire 80% of technicians because profit margins are tiny in your cloud?
I‘m furious- As CSP we have Customers who wouldn't put der Workload to Azure. They would put their Server Back to their location and move from Office 365 to SPLA Office or to a alternative.
So their is fewer Cloud Value for Microsoft. And Problems for their Partners to have Managed Products for their Customers.
I would like to have Azure Stack HCI for multi Tenancy. So we can put different Customers on a Azure Stack HCI. This would help to make the transformation to the Cloud easier.- What about hosting Azure Stack HCI per customer as CSP? So licensing is made via CSP but tied to the customer?
Hi EldenChristensen maybe I am not properly informed, but it seems that the option to host AVD on Azure Stack HCI is often noted here. But is there any pricing or Product Terms update yet to allow this?
Again, I could be missing something, but there is no commitment for production yet in terms of licensing and cost. Kindly asking for clarification.
edit:
Elden: "At Ignite we announced that Enterprise Agreement customers with Software Assurance can exchange their existing licensed cores of Windows Server Datacenter to get Azure Stack HCI at no additional cost."
It is not yet mirrored in Product Terms, but it seems this is going to be expanded (and was intended by Microsoft) for all licensing programs offering Windows Server Datacenter with SA or SA equivalent rights. I am still working torwards a clarification and this to be added to Product Terms. Hope it is coming.Deleted AVD on Stack HCI is in preview, and has been for a while, so Product Terms and finalized pricing aren't available. Currently available details are here: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-desktop/azure-stack-hci-overview#pricing
JimGaynor is there any ETA to GA for this? As you said it is in preview for quite a while and customers are hesitant to plan this option as RDSH / Citrix alternative when they have no visibility about prices and terms. They are unlikely eager to put any workloads in testing or even production stage, even in preview until terms are clear. This mindset differs from customer to customer or region to region. But from what I see AVD in Azure is the only option that is being discussed by deciders as alternative, which is quite sad.
I would say one thing is abundantly clear. Microsoft are not making decisions on what is logical or best for their customer, they're dictating licensing conditions and software support, and artificially crippling operating system (server and desktop), to forcefully steer customers to a more expensive (profitable) platform that in most cases, cost aside, isn't even the best solution for the customer.
This isn't necessarily unsual for a company, though normally if you just make a great product the profitability comes easy, especially with software. What's maybe different here is Microsoft are not really try to hide the fact, and with the restriction on Win 10/11 multi-session licensing being exclusive to Azure, it's also very anti-competitive. It's a court case waiting to happen in my opinion.
Anyway, the whole situation just seems totally unecessary as it's clearly not a technical limitation. Must be frustrating for the developers and almost everybody else at Microsoft who just want to make the best products they can.
