Microsoft has released the Exchange Server Subscription Edition (SE) for on-premises and hybrid deployments, marking a shift to the Modern Lifecycle Policy with continuous servicing and no fixed end-of-life. All administrators must do is keep their configurations up-to-date.
The shift is a significant change from past fixed-version releases, but brings the product more in line with what continuous update models that’s becoming more popular among a range of software. The switch in lifecycle will mean less frequent major upgrades for admins, but more continuous updates with smaller changes.
For those who want Exchange running in the cloud, Exchange Online and Microsoft 365 will continue offering the latest and most innovative features, including Microsoft 365 Copilot integration. With Exchange SE, Microsoft is continuing to offer a product for those scenarios where customers need an on-premises setup.
Customers looking to get started with the Exchange SE Release to Manufacturing (RTM) build can go ahead and install it as a Cumulative Update (CU) for Exchange Server 2019 CU14 or CU15.
Microsoft recommends that customers running Exchange 2019 do an in-place upgrade from CU14 or CU15 to Exchange SE. Unlike other Exchange RTM releases, this one doesn’t have a major code upgrade or any major changes compared to Exchange 2019 CU15 and is considered a low risk upgrade.
The Exchange SE RTM is more or less identical with Exchange 2019 CU15; there are no new features, no schema changes, and no new license keys required. The only differences are the license agreement, name, build and version numbers, and integrated updates released since CU15.
For anyone wondering what the point is of updating to a new version that has nothing new, the main reason is that after October 2025, Exchange SE will be the only supported on-premises version of Exchange. Both Exchange 2016 and 2019 will reach their end of support.
Microsoft said that Exchange SE CU2 will block coexistence with Exchange 2016/2019 servers and will require specific Exchange SE server keys and bring new features. The Redmond giant is aiming to release new CUs twice a year, and over time, continue to simplify, streamline, and modernize Exchange SE.