back to article Exchange Server 2016 will be mostly Cloud Exchange ported back on-premises

Microsoft has let it be known that it has a preview of Exchange Server 2016 ready to see the sun at its May Ignite conference. Along the way it's also said that the on-premises version of Exchange isn't getting much more than stuff it's already built for, and proved in, the cloud version of the server. Here's what the company …

  1. Phil Kingston

    Gotta say, they've done such a good job with 365, I can't see me wanting to put an on-premise Exchange out there again.

    1. Steve Davies 3 Silver badge

      On-premise Exchange

      I guess that rules you out of any job where the privacy of the messages etc is of some concern to the business.

      don't forget that the spooks will probably have a back door into your Cloud Exchange. Do you really want to keep deeding them everythnig about your biz?

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: On-premise Exchange

        "I guess that rules you out of any job where the privacy of the messages etc is of some concern to the business."

        Nope - you can secure your messages / data on Office 365 so that Microsoft (and the US courts) can't get to them: https://www.thales-esecurity.com/msrms/cloud

        "don't forget that the spooks will probably have a back door into your Cloud Exchange. Do you really want to keep deeding them everythnig about your biz?"

        Possibly, but seeing as we know that they already have back doors in your routers , firewalls, hard drives, etc and access to your leased lines is that really anything new?

        1. ThunderCougarFalconBird

          Re: On-premise Exchange

          The problem is ownership of the data.

          If the data travels on networks, servers and routers that do not belong to you and then are stored on servers that don't belong to you, who actually owns the data? And if there is legal discovery action initiated against the data you claim to own but is controlled by a different entity, who do you file the discovery action against?

          And if you file the discover action against the vendor who holds the data/content, what recourse do you have to stop your vendor from complying with what they believe is a legal request, yet in your eyes is an illegal search and seizure since it's your data!

          These are all very complicated legalities that need to be made clear in whatever contract you sign for a hosted mail service!

    2. Adrian Harvey
      Joke

      You'll definitely want to be on-premise next year as it's a leap year. With 366 days you must have a full day outage from Office 365 sometime during the year.

  2. Pascal Monett Silver badge

    Did I get that right ?

    Exchange 2016 is going to be in the cloud, but you can pretend you have it on-premise even though there will be a part in the cloud. Is that right ?

    Well if it is, we're going to see just exactly how important all that privacy stuff actually is, because if it is important, companies will be avoiding that version like the plague.

    1. Simon Sharwood, Reg APAC Editor (Written by Reg staff)

      Re: Did I get that right ?

      Not quite. You can have it on-premises, but the dev work for the on-premises version is derived from work that's *already* gone into the cloud version. So the innovation is being done for the cloud version and every so often MSFT gets around to productising some of that for on-premises ops.

      1. Pascal Monett Silver badge

        That is reassuring. Thank you for the response.

        So, like console ports, Microsoft is developing for "the cloud" first, then every now and then porting some of that to the "non-cloud", with all the uncertainties that such a move entails.

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          "with all the uncertainties that such a move entails."

          Surely fewer uncertainties as the cloud version will already be out there?

    2. P. Lee
      Coat

      Re: Did I get that right ?

      Internet-based email?

      'Tis a revolution I tell ya!

      --

      What is actually interesting is that with every app which shifts to a web client, the Windows desktop becomes a little less important. It will be interesting to see if a less important desktop makes the Windows server less critical. Perhaps Visio will never be cloud-based and MS is just making one less app require a desktop installation procedure to fend off Google defections. It will be a fine line to walk.

      1. dogged
        Facepalm

        Re: Did I get that right ?

        you presumably haven't noticed Outlook Web Access which first shipped as part of Exchange Server 5.0 in 1997.

  3. Tim 11

    "Faster and more intelligent search"

    Having just switched from gmail to office 365, the biggest downside for me is search which doesn't seem to have improved significantly since I used exchange in 2001. If this is what on-prem exchange customers have to look forward to in exchange '16, don't get your hopes up too high.

  4. Montague Wanktrollop

    Really?

    I read the Reg at work like most people. Is it really necessary to have a mahoosive pic of a woman's lips in a seductive post to head an article on Exchange?

    Cue adblock to remove all Reg images.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Really?

      "Is it really necessary to have a mahoosive pic of a woman's lips in a seductive post to head an article on Exchange?"

      Looks like a kid to me. Don't see it's at all seductive. Unless you like that sort of thing...

      Regardless of what it is, I can't see that photo ever being NSFW unless you work for ISIS or the Saudis...

      1. Velv
        Coffee/keyboard

        Re: Really?

        Don't care WHAT the picture is, they are (to me) a pain in the arse.

        Please El Reg, introduce something to turn the images off. We've all consented to your cookies, there must be something smart you can do to remove the images for those readers who don't want them. It's meant to be responsive after all...

    2. GBE

      Re: Really?

      "Cue adblock to remove all Reg images."

      Yup, just added a rule for those.

    3. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Really?

      Given how tedious the Cloud Hype train has become, 'lips' are a welcome new feature in the Microsoft Cloud product line. It won't make people move over any quicker but at least its easy on the eyes...

  5. dogged

    > new REST-based APIs for Mail, Calendar, and Contacts

    That might actually be useful.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Yes sounds like it might be a bit easier to deal with than the current APIs, although would be nice if they would choose an API and stick with it rather than changing every other version.

  6. Terafirma-NZ

    awesome

    So this means that they have actually tested the code. When I get it the features will work and be logical to end users.

    This is the sole use that I love about O365 they build it see how hard it is to do fix it then give it to me. They don't have to get rid of on-prem just port back what they are doing online and allow us to build it.

  7. Mark Dowling

    Why call it EX2016 at all?

    Just call it Exchange Server and make SA affordable enough that no-one would be bothered simply buying one time licences and CALs. If the Windows side of the house can get on board with a single rolling product evolution, why can't Exchange.

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