Bottom line: Exchange 2016 and 2019 will lose their ESU support in October 2026 — administrators must plan an upgrade or migration by then.
Microsoft is ending Extended Security Updates (ESU) support for Exchange 2016 and 2019 in October 2026. After that, these versions will receive no more security patches.
Microsoft has announced that Extended Security Updates (ESU) support for Microsoft Exchange 2016 and Microsoft Exchange 2019 will end in October 2026. Both products are already in the ESU program and currently receive only security patches instead of regular feature updates.
After the ESU support expires, Microsoft will no longer provide security patches or fixes for these versions. For environments still running on these versions, this represents a significant security risk: newly discovered vulnerabilities will not be patched, and attackers can exploit these gaps deliberately.
Administrators should implement a migration strategy by October 2026. Options include upgrading to current Exchange versions (Exchange Server 2019 with CU13+ or newer releases) or switching to Microsoft 365 and Exchange Online. Particularly in the context of NIS2 requirements, the lack of security support becomes a compliance risk. The planning horizon of approximately eighteen months requires inventory and resource planning now.
Source: borncity.com · Published 21 July 2026
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