Next Exchange Server in 2021

[Aug. 12, 2022: For the latest Exchange Server plan, see this roadmap entry.]

• The next version of Exchange Server is planned for the second half of 2021.
• The version will interest organizations that expect to have Exchange mailboxes on-premises beyond 2025.
• It will require subscription licensing.
• Its support policy and end dates have not been announced.

The next Exchange Server version is planned for release in the second half of 2021. Called “vNext” by Microsoft and labeled “2022” here, the version will be technically similar to Exchange Server 2019 and will allow in-place upgrade from that version. It will also support migration from Exchange Server 2013 and 2016. Exchange Server 2022 will require subscription licensing, the first Exchange Server version to do so. Microsoft has not revealed technical plans for the version, but it might receive some improvements first delivered to Exchange Online, such as server-side message recall, better throttling of high-traffic conversations (which Microsoft calls “reply-all storms”), and features to help end users employ multiple e-mail addresses. Further simplification of hybrid configurations between Exchange Server on-premises and Exchange Online is also likely.