Microsoft offers vintage Exchange and Skype server users six more months of security updates
- Reference: 1752733806
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2025/07/17/microsoft_extended_security_exchange_skype_server/
- Source link:
The software behemoth announced the extension on Wednesday in [1]twin [2]posts that note the aforementioned products are “going out of support in October 2025” and reveal “we have heard from some of our customers that they have started their migrations … but might need a few extra months of Security Updates (SU) for their … servers while they are finalizing their migrations.”
Good old Microsoft is willing to help, with “an additional 6-month Extended Security Update” that covers any Critical-or-Important-rated security updates that appear after October 14th, 2025 – the day the products exit support.
[3]
But the company hasn’t guaranteed it will publish any such updates.
[4]
Nor will customers be able to learn if Microsoft issues updates by checking Windows Update or Microsoft’s downloadable patch troves. Microsoft will only let you know about patches available under the Extended Security Update if you sign up for the Extended Security Update.
Doing so will cost money: Microsoft’s posts advise that chatting with its account teams is the way to get information on costs and how to purchase and receive the updates.
[5]Microsoft offers EU cloud providers fresh commercial terms, staves off risk of litigation
[6]Microsoft's on-prem Exchange and Skype for Business Server go subscription-only
[7]Exchange Server 2019 has less than six months of support left in the tank
[8]Final cumulative update for Exchange Server 2019 lands at last
Microsoft would not be doing this if it had not identified a significant population of customers struggling to migrate away from these products but appears to be losing patience with those users as its posts say these extended updates are a one-time offer and they will end on April 14, 2026.
“This period will not be extended past April 2026 (you do not need to ask),” its posts state. ®
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[1] https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/blog/skype_for_business_blog/announcing-skype-for-business-2015--2019-extended-security-update-program/4433493
[2] https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/blog/exchange/announcing-exchange-2016--2019-extended-security-update-program/4433495
[3] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_security/patches&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2aHjJt1SstHF5tDqbwiT_cgAAAJM&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[4] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_security/patches&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44aHjJt1SstHF5tDqbwiT_cgAAAJM&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[5] https://www.theregister.com/2025/07/11/microsoft_offers_eu_cloud_providers/
[6] https://www.theregister.com/2025/07/02/exchange_skype_subscription_versions/
[7] https://www.theregister.com/2025/04/15/exchange_server_2019/
[8] https://www.theregister.com/2025/02/11/exchange_server_2019_final_cu/
[9] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
Losing patience with those users
Pesky users. If only they'd just pay up on demand and do as they're told.
What's weird is that businesses seem to tolerate behaviour from IT vendors that they wouldn't tolerate from any of their other suppliers. It's not a new phenomenon - it goes back to the early days of IBM - but when push comes to shove, the executives never seem to have the confidence in their own technical staff to push back against the vendors and shove them out where necessary.
Balance the risk
If you're going to move/migrate, be bold and actually do a risk assessment and consider compensatory controls that would address any potential risks.
Probably cost you less than the MS Extended support and has a better chance of actually addressing any potential risks between end of support date and your migration timeline end.
Just my pennies worth.
Bloody customers
Get onto our cloud now, and pay for it.
you do not need to ask
(and there's no point sending an email).
Maybe it was due to MS dragging their heels over releasing the costs that slowed the migration to SE.