In May 2024, Microsoft confirmed that the next version of Exchange Server will be a Subscription Edition (SE). Microsoft Exchange Server Subscription Edition will be available early in the third quarter of 2025.
What is Exchange Server Subscription Edition
Exchange Server Subscription Edition (SE) is the latest version of Microsoft’s mail server and calendaring server. It is designed for businesses and organizations to manage emails, calendars, contacts, and tasks efficiently. This edition will be available through a subscription model.
Exchange Server Update Timeline
- Microsoft will release one final Cumulative Update (CU) for Exchange Server 2019 – the 2024 H2 CU aka CU15 – later this year.
- Microsoft will release Exchange Server Subscription Edition (Exchange Server SE) early in the third quarter of calendar year 2025.
- Microsoft will release the first CU for Exchange Server SE – CU1 – in late 2025.
Licensing Exchange Server Subscription Edition
From a licensing perspective Exchange Server Subscription Edition will follow the same rules as for SharePoint Server SE: you will need active Software Assurance (SA) to use the product or buy the subscription licenses. And if the SA lapses, then you retain rights to the 2019 version of the product.
Upgrading to Exchange Server SE from Previous Versions
To help further accelerate in-place upgrades, in addition to being code equivalent, Exchange Server SE will support two types of upgrades: in-place upgrade and legacy upgrade.
- In-place upgrade
The fastest and easiest way to get from Exchange Server 2019 to Exchange Server SE is to perform an in-place upgrade. The upgrade experience is identical to installing a CU. Once a server is running Exchange Server SE, it will be updated with our update cadence of two CUs per year (in H1 and H2).
- Legacy upgrade
Exchange Server SE also supports legacy upgrades, which involve building out a new infrastructure and moving namespaces and mailboxes to that new infrastructure. Some of these processes are used in other scenarios, such as when replacing server hardware or when you want to use a newer version of Windows Server, and those processes continue to be supported in Exchange Server SE.
If your organization is running Exchange 2016 today and you want to continue to run Exchange on-premises, then you have at least one more legacy upgrade to do.
To ensure a timely move from Exchange 2016 to Exchange Server SE, Microsoft recommends doing a legacy upgrade now from Exchange 2016 to Exchange 2019 as soon as possible. Once you are running Exchange 2019, you can do a quick and easy in-place upgrade to Exchange Server SE.
FAQ
When will Exchange Server SE be available?
Early Q3 2025.
What happens if my SA lapses?
You retain rights to the 2019 version of the product.
Will Exchange Server SE support coexistence with Exchange 2013?
No, support for coexistence with Exchange 2013 will be removed.
What operating systems will Exchange Server SE support?
Windows Server 2019, Windows Server 2022, and Windows Server 2025.
More information
For the official announcement and precise update paths, please visit: https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/exchange-team-blog/exchange-server-roadmap-update/ba-p/4132742.
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