By Craig Hale
Publication Date: 2026-02-09 19:00:00
- EWS doesn’t deliver security, scale and reliability to today’s standards
- It will be shut down for cloud environments from April 2027
- ‘Scream tests’ will help show any dependencies
Microsoft has confirmed it will be phasing out Exchange Web Services (EWS) for Microsoft 365 and Exchange Online after nearly two decades of services, and we’ve been given all the key dates.
As soon as October 2026, the company will disable EWS by default for Exchange Online tenants, with the final shutdown set for April 1, 2027.
Microsoft stressed that the change only applies to M365 and Exchange Online cloud environments, but that EWS will continue to work for on-prem Exchange Servers.
Exchange Web Services set for retirement in 2027
The company explained the reason behind phasing out EWS is that it was built nearly 20 years ago, and that it no longer meets modern security, scale and reliability needs. By retiring Exchange Web Services, Microsoft can reduce the legacy attack surface.
“If you…
