SharePoint 2016 and 2019 Are Nearing End of Life - What Does That Mean for Your Organisation?
With end of life for SharePoint 2016 and 2019 approaching soon Steve Moroney, M365 Productivity and Engagement Account Manager at Storm, outlines what exactly this means for your business and why you should start planning your migration sooner rather than later.
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Microsoft announced recently that SharePoint 2016 and 2019 will reach End of Life (EOL) in July 2026. For organisations still relying on these platforms, this is a pivotal moment. While a year may seem like ample time to prepare, the reality is quite different. Successful migrations are complex projects, often requiring months of planning and preparation.
This deadline is more than a date in the calendar. It represents a critical juncture where businesses must evaluate their current systems and consider their next steps. Delaying could mean much more than a missed opportunity; it could result in costly consequences.
What End of Life Really Means
Once a solution reaches its end of life, it doesn’t just mark the end of updates - it signifies a halt in innovation, assistance, and system protection. After July 2026, Microsoft will no longer issue security fixes or updates for SharePoint 2016 or 2019. This could leave your system exposed to new vulnerabilities with no official recourse. As cyber threats grow increasingly sophisticated and more common, an unsupported platform can become a likely target for cyberattacks.
Another significant issue is that there will be limited, or possibly no Microsoft support available for older versions of SharePoint, even for critical incidents. Your organisation's IT team will be required to resolve problems without vendor backing, increasing the time and cost required to maintain critical business systems.
In terms of compliance, unsupported systems can pose a huge issue. Whether your business is governed by GDPR, HIPAA, ISO standards, or internal security policies, maintaining legacy systems without support could violate your regulatory obligations, putting your organisation at risk of financial penalties, reputational damage, or even data breaches.
The Business Risks of Delaying SharePoint Migration
It’s easy to fall into the trap of procrastination, especially with a whole year left until solution EOL. But delaying your migration increases complexity and compresses timelines, leading to significant risks. A rushed migration often results in hasty decision-making, lack of user involvement, and overall poor planning. This can translate to greater costs, unanticipated outages, and disruptions that affect day-to-day business operations.
Further, solutions running past their end of life date carry the risk of failure. Should a critical issue arise after EOL, there’s no official support to turn to. This could mean extended downtime which can result in service disruptions and data loss, which can severely impact productivity, customer service, and even revenue as a result.
Why Now Is the Right Time to Start Planning
Migrating from legacy systems isn’t just a technical task, it’s a strategic business initiative. Starting early allows for a methodical, collaborative approach. A successful migration begins with understanding both what you have and what you need. Early planning allows for a comprehensive audit of your content, customisations, and user needs, as well as allowing time to involve stakeholders across departments, which helps ensure buy-in and clarity.
With time on your side, you can reimagine your SharePoint architecture, from information hierarchy to governance policies. A rushed lift-and-shift might carry over existing inefficiencies, whereas a thoughtful redesign aligns the new environment with current business objectives and evolving user expectations.
The Opportunity to Modernise
Too often, migrations are seen as just another tick-box task. But for forward-thinking organisations, they’re a chance to transform, not just transfer. By migrating to a newer version of SharePoint, your business benefits from continuous improvements, scalability, enhanced security, and the opportunity to leverage the latest technological advancements. Upgrading to SharePoint Online means native support for automation, improved workflows, AI-driven search capabilities, and Copilot functionality. Adopting modern tools in this way can help your organisation reduce manual tasks, accelerate approvals, and future-proof its document management system.
By starting your migration journey now, you can give your team the time needed to make informed decisions, modernise your environment, and unlock new capabilities. If done right, this migration can be the first step toward a more agile, secure, and collaborative digital workplace.
To learn how to prepare for a smooth, strategic SharePoint migration that guarantees compliance and the security of your important data, register for our upcoming webinar ‘Governance, Security & Control: Rethinking SharePoint in the Age of AI.’
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