Microsoft announced yesterday that Exchange Server 2016 and 2019 can receive extended security updates. The ESU program (Extended Security Update program) is already available for Windows Server 2012 and other older operating systems. This is not a general extension of support for Exchange Server 2016 and Exchange Server 2019 beyond October 14, 2025. The ESU program for Exchange Server is only intended to give companies a little more time to complete the migration to Exchange Server SE or Exchange Online without leaving the old servers without security updates.
On the Microsoft Exchange Team Blog it says:
Starting August 1, 2025, customers can contact their Microsoft account team for information and to purchase an additional 6-month Extended Security Update (ESU) for their Exchange 2016 / 2019 servers. Their account teams will have information on the cost per server and additional details on how to purchase and receive ESUs starting August 1, 2025.
Unternehmen können sich also für derzeit maximal 6 Monate kostenpflichtig Sicherheitsupdates für Exchange Server sichern. Das ESU Programm beinhaltet nur Sicherheitsupdates der Kategorie „Wichtig“ und „Kritisch“, wenn es denn welche geben sollte, denn sicher ist das nicht. vSupport gibt es nach dem 14.10.2025 nicht mehr. Die Updates wird es nicht öffentlich zum Dowload geben, ESU Teilnehmer werden aber am Update Dienstag informiert, ob es für Exchange Server neue Updates gibt. ESU Updates wird es bis zum 14.04.2026 geben, eine Verlängerung des Programm wird es nicht geben.
If any of the readers have to make use of this, I would be interested to know the costs. I would be delighted if someone could post this in the comments. This should only be interesting for large environments with Exchange 2016 servers, because Exchange 2019 can be Inplace to Exchange SE update. The same program is also available for Skype for Business Server.
