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Microsoft Throws Exchange Server 2016 and 2019 a Support Lifeline
Microsoft this week announced it will be bringing its Extended Security Update (ESU) program for on-premises Exchange Server 2016 and 2019, offering organizations critical protection as they approach the end of life.
The ESU program, unveiled on the Exchange Team blog, will provide paid annual support, including security updates, for these legacy systems. Exchange 2016's extended support ends on Oct. 14, while basic support for Exchange 2019 runs out on the same date.
With the upcoming arrival of Exchange Subscription Edition (SE) expected in Q3 2025, ESUs serve as a crucial stopgap to maintain security coverage, said the company.
"With both Exchange 2016 and 2019 going out of support in October 2025, we have heard from some of our customers that they have started their migrations to Exchange Subscription Edition (SE) but might need a few extra months of Security Updates (SU) for their Exchange 2016 / 2019 servers while they are finalizing their migrations," said Microsoft.
Available through Microsoft's volume licensing, the program ensures ongoing security for legacy Exchange servers with a commitment to prompt deployment of critical fixes.
Nearly a decade old, Exchange 2016 still hosts services in many enterprise environments -- particularly on-premises or hybrid deployments. While migrating to Exchange 2019 or Exchange Online is the optimal path, ESUs aim to provide critical vulnerabilities are patched in the interim. Further, Microsoft has encouraged migration to cloud-based or newer on-premises systems -- even offering free ESUs for Server 2008 running in Azure.
Per Microsoft:
This program is intended only for customers who are unable to finalize their migrations to Exchange SE before end of support lifecycle for Exchange 2016 / 2019, already use Exchange 2016 CU23 or Exchange 2019 CU14/CU15, and still need Critical and Important security coverage for the older servers still in operation.