On-site servers

Most office servers are doing jobs the cloud now does better.

Some still earn their place. Many keep running out of habit, one old program, or a file share nobody moved. Here is how to decide job by job, what the Windows Server support dates mean, and a planner that tells you what to keep, move or retire.

Microsoft support dates from Microsoft Lifecycle, checked 30 October 2026.

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Job-by-job decision
Support deadlines
Server planner

Reviewed by Blake Bath, General Manager, on 30 October 2026.

A technician kneels with a torch to check the back of an old tower server on a storeroom shelf while the office manager watches. — **12 January 2027**Windows Server 2016 stops getting security updates. Check what yours runs.

What we find

Five things we find when we look at an office server.

Each one is a cost or a risk the business usually does not know it is carrying.

Out of support

Windows Server or Exchange versions that no longer get security updates.

Version check
Upgrade or retire
Deadline plan

Server keep, move or retire planner

Should your server stay? Plan it job by job.

Pick what your server does, its Windows version and your internet. You get a recommendation for each job and the support deadline that applies.

Tell us what the server does. You get a keep, move or retire answer for each job and the support deadline that applies.

What runs on your server?

Which Windows Server version?

How is the office internet?

The server can probably go once the app moves

4jobs to plan

Windows Server 2016 stops getting security updates on 12 January 2027.

What to do with each job
Job	Recommendation
Shared office files	Move to SharePoint and Teams
Line-of-business software	Ask the vendor for their cloud version first. If none, host it in Azure or keep it local
Staff logins	Move devices to Entra ID join and Intune, then retire the domain controller
Print server	Cloud print or direct IP printing managed by Intune

Get a server review

Support deadlines

The dates that decide it for you.

Product	Security updates end	What to do
Windows Server 2012 and 2012 R2	Already ended	Urgent: retire or upgrade
Windows Server 2016	12 January 2027	Plan now
Windows Server 2019	9 January 2029	Include in the next refresh
Exchange Server 2016 and 2019	Ended 14 October 2025	Move to Exchange Online or Exchange SE
Exchange Server Subscription Edition	Supported to at least 31 December 2035	Paid subscription for on-premises Exchange

Out-of-support software keeps running. It just stops getting fixes for new security flaws, and most cyber insurers and frameworks such as the Essential Eight expect it to be replaced.

When local still wins

When a self-hosted server still makes sense.

Software with no cloud versionOlder accounting, practice or ERP software that only runs on a local server.
Very large filesCAD, plans, video and imaging that are opened and saved all day.
Equipment on siteCameras, door access, machinery and lab equipment that need a local controller.
Poor internetRegional and remote sites where the link cannot carry the work.

When cloud wins

Jobs the cloud now does better.

EmailExchange Online replaces an on-premises Exchange server.
Office documentsSharePoint and Teams replace the file server, with version history and sharing.
Staff logins and device policyEntra ID and Intune replace the domain controller and group policy.
PrintingCloud print or direct printing managed by Intune replaces the print server.
Offsite backup and recoveryCloud backup with immutable copies replaces tapes and USB drives.

The usual answer

Most small businesses end up with a small hybrid setup.

Email, documents and logins in Microsoft 365. Large files on a local NAS backed up to the cloud. A line-of-business program in its vendor's cloud, on an Azure virtual machine, or on a smaller local server. Cameras on their own recorder.

The aim is not zero hardware. It is no hardware doing a job that something cheaper or safer could do, and nothing running past its support date.

Our view

Use the support date as the decision point.

If your server runs Windows Server 2016, the January 2027 date is a good reason to decide what it should still be doing. Buying a new server to keep doing the same jobs is rarely the right answer.

We start by listing every job the server does and who depends on it. Most of the list moves to Microsoft 365 with little disruption. What is left decides whether you need a smaller box, a virtual machine in Azure, or nothing at all.

The order

Retiring or right-sizing a server in five steps.

Step 1List the jobs
Every share, program, login and device that depends on it.
Step 2Sort them
Move, keep local, replace, or retire.
Step 3Move the easy ones
Email, documents and printing first.
Step 4Solve the hard one
The line-of-business software, with the vendor.
Step 5Retire or right-size
Decommission safely, or replace with something smaller.

Related guides

The server is one decision. Here are the others.

Cloud platforms, backup, storage and the network the server sits on.

Get help your way

Six ways to reach us. Pick whichever suits you.

Helpdesk hours are Monday to Friday, 8am to 5pm AEST. On Advantage and above, emergencies get a response within 1 hour and outages within 2, with 24/7 best-effort escalation.

Questions

What people ask about on-site servers.

Do we still need a server in the office?

Usually not for email, documents or staff logins, which now run better in Microsoft 365. You may still need one for software that only runs on a local server, very large files such as CAD or video, cameras and door systems, or a site with poor internet.

Our server runs Windows Server 2016. What happens in January 2027?

Microsoft stops releasing security updates for Windows Server 2016 on 12 January 2027. The server keeps running, but new flaws will not be fixed. Plan to retire it, upgrade it, or move what it does before then.

Is a self-hosted server cheaper than the cloud?

Sometimes, for steady workloads that run all day on hardware you already own. Once you add the hardware refresh, backup, power, support and the risk of one box failing, the gap usually closes. For small offices the bigger saving is retiring jobs the server no longer needs to do.

Can we keep running Exchange on our own server?

Exchange Server 2016 and 2019 reached end of support on 14 October 2025. The supported on-premises option is Exchange Server Subscription Edition, which is a paid subscription. For most small businesses, Exchange Online is the simpler choice.

Should we move our file server to SharePoint?

For normal office documents, yes. You get version history, sharing and access from anywhere without hardware to maintain. For very large files that are edited all day, a local NAS backed up to the cloud is often still faster.

What about our accounting or practice software?

Ask the vendor first. Most now offer a cloud version, which removes the need for a server for that software. If they do not, it can run on a virtual machine in Azure or stay on a smaller local server until the software is replaced.

Next step