Begin Move to Exchange Server SE to Keep Support 

• Organizations running Exchange in their own data centers must migrate quickly to Exchange Server SE. 

• The new version requires subscription licensing at higher prices. 

The first production release of  Exchange Server SE became generally available July 1, 2025. All Exchange Server customers must migrate to this version, because support ends for all other versions on Oct.14, 2025. 

Minor Changes Now, More Later 

Exchange Server SE installs as a cumulative update (CU) to Exchange Server 2019 CU14 or CU15 and includes all updates released since CU15. SE does not change features or prerequisites, only name, version number, and license rules.  

Two planned CUs in 2026 will add and remove features, and will block coexistence with unsupported Exchange Server versions. 

Subscription Required, Prices Up 

Microsoft’s Product Terms, which govern enterprise license programs, do not yet list SE.  Microsoft says customers must maintain either active subscription licenses or Software Assurance (SA) for all components.  Customers can license SE today by buying licenses for Exchange Server 19 with SA, renewing SA on existing licenses, or by purchasing subscription licenses that include Exchange Server rights.