The next Exchange Server version will be released in the third quarter of 2025. This is already known, but a few more details are new. Here is some news:
The next Exchange Server version will simply be called Exchange Server SE. SE stands for "Subscription Edition", just like SharePoint SE, the new Exchange Server version will only be available as a subscription. There will no longer be a "buy once" edition as before.
It is already clear when the first CU for Exchange Server SE will be released. The first CU will be released at the end of 2025 and will then cut off support for older Exchange versions. With the release of CU1 for Exchange SE, Exchange SE will be the only Exchange Server version with support.
Exchange Server SE will not initially receive any new features. In principle, Exchange Server SE will only switch Exchange Server 2019 to the subscription model and the Modern Lifecycle Directive converted. Only the CU1 for Exchange SE, which will be released at the end of 2025, will contain new features:
- Kerberos server-to-server communication (as a replacement for NTLMv2)
- Admin API (A Rest API for Exchange administration)
- Remote PowerShell is still supported, but is discontinued and will be removed with the following CU
- Outlook Anywhere is removed (only MAPIoverHTTP)
- No more coexistence with older Exchange versions (only Exchange Server SE is supported)
As is already known, support for Exchange 2019 and Exchange 2016 will end on October 14, 2025. The migration phase from Exchange 2019 to Exchange Server SE will therefore be very short. However, anyone already using Exchange Server 2019 can update to Exchange Server SE directly (i.e. without migration). Microsoft writes the following:
To enable rapid adoption and deployment, the RTM version of Exchange Server SE will be the same code as Exchange Server 2019 CU15 (i.e. exactly the same code as Exchange Server 2019 CU15) except for the following changes:
Exchange Server Roadmap Update
- The license agreement, an RTF file that is only displayed in the GUI version of Setup, is updated.
- The name will be changed from Microsoft Exchange Server 2019 to Microsoft Exchange Server Subscription Edition.
- The build and version number is updated.
As you can see, not much really happens when updating from Exchange Server 2019 to Exchange Server SE, it's the same product, just with a different name, different version number and new license model.
Incidentally, CU15 will be the last CU for Exchange Server 2019. CU15 is a prerequisite for the update to Exchange Server SE. CU15 will be released at the end of 2024. To make the switch to Exchange Server SE as quick and straightforward as possible, Microsoft advises all companies to migrate to Exchange 2019 now, only then will the direct update to Exchange SE be possible without migration.
Exchange Server SE will also still support the legacy migration from Exchange Server 2016, but there could be time pressure there, because this option will no longer be available at the end of 2025 with CU1 for Exchange Server SE and Microsoft is not planning to extend support for the old Exchange Server:
To ensure a timely migration from Exchange 2016 to Exchange Server SE, we recommend performing a legacy upgrade from Exchange 2016 to Exchange 2019 as soon as possible. Once you have Exchange 2019 running, you can perform a quick and easy in-place upgrade to Exchange Server SE.
Exchange Server Roadmap Update
The CU15 will remove support for Exchange 2013, but hopefully this should no longer exist as it is no longer supported. The Exchange Server 2019 CU 15 will bring the following new features:
- Support for TLS 1.3
- Certificate management (import / export) via Exchange Admin Center (this already existed before)
- Support for Windows Server 2025 (when available)
These functions are then identical to Exchange Server SE.
