Office and Exchange Server are gradually becoming obsolete. Therefore, Microsoft will soon stop supporting the applications.
In less than a year, Microsoft support for Office 2016 and 2019 will end. That doesn’t mean the applications will stop working, but they will no longer be updated. Only Publisher disappears completely and is given no alternative.
Everything together in the cloud
Microsoft wants Office users to move to the cloud with Microsoft 365. However, there is no obligation. If you prefer not to store your files online, you can use Office 2024 LTSC.
According to Microsoft, email servers can also be better managed in the cloud. For people who want to continue using their own email server, Exchange Server 2019 is currently the only option. Microsoft has not yet announced the exact date for the release of the successor, the Microsoft Exchange Server Subscription Edition.
Transitioning from the 2019 version to the subscription formula should be easy. Exchange Server 2016 users have a more difficult time. You have to build a new infrastructure and transfer all data manually. This is a time-consuming process that you should start as soon as possible.
Skype will also receive a similar subscription formula for customers who don’t want or can’t switch to Teams.