Yesterday, I had reposted this update on my blog here as I had done in the past and was told that was not a good thing to do. I still don’t understand why as it would convey the information verbatim along with the link to the original blog post and would help to promote their post. But, I have been repeatedly told by everyone that I am stupid over these past few weeks. So here is my answer to that.
I took the blog post, pasted it into Microsoft Word, and then used Copilot to summarize the data. Copilot would not let me ground the website directly even though it is public, and I was logged in. So, after a copy/paste into Word, I told it to write a technical blog post based on that summarized data. No, I am not going to tell you how I prompted it. The beauty in learning Copilot and AI is learning to prompt it yourself and figuring out how to best prompt Copilot to get the response you need.
Here is the output:
This response is based on the document: Microsoft Exchange Server Roadmap Update
Microsoft has recently provided an update on their product roadmap for Microsoft Exchange Server, outlining the next milestones in the Exchange Server journey. Here’s a summary of what’s ahead:
- Exchange Server 2019 CU15: Microsoft will release one final Cumulative Update (CU) for Exchange Server 2019, known as the 2024 H2 CU or CU15, later this year. This update will introduce new features and changes to support the RTM release of Exchange Server Subscription Edition (SE). Some of the new features include support for Transport Layer Security (TLS) 1.3, reintroduction of certificate management in the Exchange admin center (EAC), and support for new product keys. Additionally, CU15 will remove support for co-existence with Exchange 2013 and add support for Windows Server 2025.
- Exchange Server Subscription Edition (SE): Microsoft will release Exchange Server SE early in the third quarter of calendar year 2025. This new release will be available for download from the Microsoft 365 admin center and will use the same licensing model as SharePoint Server Subscription Edition. The hardware and operating system requirements for Exchange Server SE are the same as Exchange 2019 CU15, and the RTM release will not require any changes to Active Directory when upgrading from Exchange Server 2019. Exchange Server SE will be supported under the modern lifecycle support policy.
- Exchange Server SE CU1: Microsoft will release the first CU for Exchange Server SE, known as CU1, in late 2025. This update is expected to introduce changes such as the use of Kerberos for server-to-server communication, the addition of an Admin API and deprecation of RPS, the removal of Outlook Anywhere, and the removal of support for co-existence with earlier versions.
- Moving to Exchange Server 2019 CU15 and Exchange Server Subscription Edition (SE): In-place upgrade the fastest and easiest way to get from Exchange Server 2019 to Exchange Server SE is to perform an in-place upgrade. The upgrade experience is identical to installing a CU. Once a server is running Exchange Server SE, it will be updated with the update cadence of two CUs per year (in H1 and H2).
- Legacy upgrade: Exchange Server SE also supports legacy upgrades, which involve building out a new infrastructure and moving namespaces and mailboxes to that new infrastructure. Some of these processes are used in other scenarios, such as when replacing server hardware or when you want to use a newer version of Windows Server, and those processes continue to be supported in Exchange Server SE.
- Update Paths: The document provides a detailed table that summarizes the available paths based on the version(s) you’re running. It is important to follow the recommended update paths to ensure a smooth transition to Exchange Server 2019 CU15 and Exchange Server SE.
- Call to Action: Microsoft recommends moving to Exchange Server 2019 CU14 on Windows Server 2022 today, or to Exchange Server 2019 CU15 on Windows Server 2025 when available, and then to in-place upgrade to Exchange Server SE when available. It is important to follow the recommended upgrade paths and best practices to ensure a smooth transition to the latest version of Exchange Server.
In summary, Microsoft is continuing to develop and improve their Exchange Server product, with the release of Exchange Server 2019 CU15 and the upcoming release of Exchange Server Subscription Edition. These updates will bring new features and changes to support the evolving needs of on-premises customers, hosted services providers, and other partners.
Here is the link to the original post: Exchange Server Roadmap Update
So, in final summary, I have learned that you cannot just help people, you have to publicly insult them to get the correct information out of them. I guess that is why I’m stupid, at least I’m told.
What did you think of the Copilot response? Join me every Friday for my Office Hours video podcast where this week’s topic is the AI Showcase! You can register for that HERE. We’ll have a discussion on Copilot Studio and Azure Open AI. Hope to see you all there!
About Lance Lingerfelt
Lance Lingerfelt is an M365 Specialist and Evangelist with over 20 years of experience in the Information Technology field. Having worked in enterprise environments to small businesses, he is able to adapt and provide the best IT Training and Consultation possible. With a focus on AI and Healthcare, he continues to give back to the community with training, public speaking events, and this blog.
