The Exchange 2013 End of Support Date is Nearly Here – What are the Risks of Staying Put?
The Microsoft Exchange 2013 End of Life date is fast approaching. On the 11th of April 2023, Microsoft will stop providing updates, new features, and security patches for Exchange Server 2013. If you haven’t already begun your migration away from Exchange 2013 it’s important to start now. There are different routes to choose from. We recommend migrating to Microsoft 365, as it’s a cost-effective and future-ready solution that will provide a wider range of benefits alongside the upgrade. If a full cloud migration isn’t feasible right away, you can also upgrade to Exchange 2019 to give you time to plan a full migration strategy.
The Risks After End of Life
Running services and applications after their end-of-life date presents new security risks, whilst also impacting functionality and integration with other services. The longer you run a system past its’ end of support date, the bigger the issue becomes. Your system will become increasingly dated, vulnerable to attacks, and incompatible with modern apps and services.
Depending on your current implementation, configuration, and management processes, upgrading your Exchange 2013 platform can be a complex migration process. We’ve found on client projects, an Exchange Server migration can uncover a range of other issues related to data management, policies and more. This shouldn’t put you off, but it should provide a warning that it’s not a project to leave to the last moment. Get advice from your IT partner and start planning now before the Exchange 2013 End of Life date arrives.
What Does End of Life Mean?
Microsoft’s products run via a support lifecycle during which they get new features, updates, security and bug fixes, software updates, new integration capabilities and so on. This lifecycle typically lasts for 10 years from the product’s initial release. After the 10 year cycle, the product will move into End of Support or End of Life. At this point, Microsoft will cease updates and support services for that product.
The Exchange 2013 End of Life date is the 11th of April next year. After this point, Microsoft will stop providing standard technical support, bug fixes, security patches, or feature updates.
Exchange 2013 will continue to run after April 2023, but you will quickly notice issues surrounding compatibility and functionality, and security risks will increase.
What Are the Risks of Running Exchange 2013 After the End of Life Date?
Functionality and Integration Restrictions
End of Life means no more updates. So, eventually, Exchange 2013 will no longer work with modern apps or services without costly integrations or maintenance. Out-of-date and unsupported technology is also much more likely to run slowly or stop working entirely, impacting productivity and the user experience.
Security Risks
The security features and protective measures set up on your Exchange environment will eventually stop, creating new cyber risks and vulnerabilities. For this reason alone, you should make sure you migrate before April. Firewalls and anti-virus will struggle to provide sufficient protection against unpatched vulnerabilities, which hackers will be quick to exploit.
Compliance Issues
Businesses that deal with lots of private customer data must keep that data secure and protected against threats. Entrusting your critical information to an unsupported, unsecure application is dangerous. Should that data get into hackers’ hands, it could result in significant financial and reputational damage.
Expensive Maintenance
From April, Microsoft will no longer provide support and maintenance for the Exchange 2013 environment. This means if you get stuck, or something goes wrong, then you will have to seek additional support providers which will be costly and time-consuming. The expense of paying an external provider to patch your software can often greatly exceed the price of simply replacing Exchange 2013.
Upgrading to a modern environment built on Microsoft 365 will provide lower total cost of ownership (TCO) as the platform is always updated and always evolving. You simply pay for per user licenses with the features that meet your business needs. No costly hardware maintenance or upgrades required – Microsoft 365 evolves with you.
Start Planning Your Migration Now
Microsoft recommends migrating to its hosted Exchange Online email and calendaring application before the Exchange 2013 End of Support Date. Exchange Online is available as a stand-alone service or via a Microsoft 365 subscription. You can also upgrade Exchange 2013 to Exchange 2019 for your on-premises servers.
The migration would involve moving your mailboxes, public folders, and other data to your new cloud, hybrid, or on-premises environment. This can be a complex move that requires technical guidance and expertise.
The 848 Group is a Microsoft Solutions Partner with a team of experienced Microsoft Certified experts available to plan, build and run your migration from Exchange 2013 to Microsoft 365 or Exchange 2019.
We’re working with our clients right now planning their migration away from Exchange 2013 Server to a secure and up-to-date platform for 2023.
Don’t wait until the Exchange 2013 End of Life date to start. Begin planning your migration today by getting in touch with us on 03449 848 848 or emailing info@848.co