Lackluster communications
Guess what really gets on my nerves? I love hate being in the dark regarding future roadmaps and version deprecations. Yes, I’m giving you the side-eye, Microsoft. For what? For the very unclear timeline about the future of Office clients and Exchange Server after fall 2025. Sure you want us to use the cloud and therefore prefer the M365 apps versions. But sometimes those are not practical and you want to run clients in seggrated network segements WITHOUT the need of permanent internet connections:
- So, why do you plan to deprecate something without officially offering a good alternative?
- Why is there almost no public information about it on the internet? The only thing I’ve found was this Tech Community article.
- Why is in the official deprecation notice, NO information about this?
- Why is there no exact date for Exchange Server vNext (besides second half of 2025)?
heise.de is very unreliable at best
Fine, Microsoft, you didn’t communicate particularly well. But what gets my blood really boiling is a German online magazine that enjoys a far better reputation than it ever deserved. Their editorial staff has a group of Microsoft haters - don’t get me wrong sometimes they have a point - who are unable to get the big picture right. I don’t know if it’s about laziness, prejudice or the need to throw out articles very fast - even when they’re really badly researched. I don’t mind too much, BUT if you freak out my customers with inaccurate articles like this one, I guarantee you, I will not recommend your shitty website to anyone PERIOD. Instead, I will see myself forced to warn people about your bs. You should have found the blog post and have added it to your article in the first place. That would have been cleaner and a less ridiculous form of bashing. So thanks for nothing, and by the way you’re welcome. I love doing other people’s jobs…
Alternatives
Because of all of this, my customers started asking about alternatives to Exchange Online/Hybrid especially when it comes to airgapped environments. Is this the route we really want to take? Move to open source or another alternative entirely? I’m unsure. But it seems like Microsoft is somewhat nudging us into this direction. As if they have not heart for people, who don’t want to “go-horse” full cloud. Tell me via one of my communication channels if you have any great ideas/inputs on this topic. And no, I won’t talk to you if you’re with heise.de. You guys - especially after I had to calm down my customers because of your bs article - are jokers at best.