Q: What is the process for upgrading Exchange 2013 and will there be downtime?

A: Manage Protect will handle the upgrade to Exchange 2019 on the back end, meaning that for the majority of users it will be a seamless and transparent process with no downtime.

Users may be prompted to restart their Outlook when the upgrade is completed. For most users updated versions of Outlook Web Access (OWA) will be the only noticeable change.

Q: What will I need to do in preparation for the upgrade?

A: Most accounts and users will not have to do anything to prepare for the upgrade unless any of the following apply:

• TLS version on Windows 7, 8, and Windows Server 2008, 2012 not updated: TLS 1.0 and 1.1 protocols have become obsolete and are no longer supported by most applications due to having vulnerabilities.
  Important: you will need to follow the instructions in the Knowledge Base article End Of Support For TLS 1.0 and 1.1 to apply changes to enable TLS 1.2 support for your OS version of Windows. Otherwise, Outlook 2013 and 2016 may stop working on the workstations with a specific version of OS (Windows 7, 8, and Windows Server 2008, 2012).
• You are using Outlook 2010 or older: Users will need to update to Outlook 2013/2016 the most recent service pack in order for their email to continue to function properly after the upgrade to Exchange 2019. You can find all the necessary instructions for this update on Microsoft’s support websites, for Outlook 2013 and Outlook 2016.
• You are using Outlook 2011 for Mac: Outlook 2011 for Mac is not supported with Exchange 2019 version. Please see Exchange Versions And Compatible Clients article for more information and consider updating the Outlook client for Mac to the newer version.
• You are not using the most updated version of Outlook 2013/2016: Users will need to update to Outlook 2013/2016 the most recent service pack in order for their email to continue to function properly after the upgrade to Exchange 2019. You can find all the necessary instructions for this update on Microsoft’s support websites, for Outlook 2013 and Outlook 2016.
• You do not have an Autodiscover Record in your DNS: If you do not have Autodiscover or it is not correctly pointing to our Exchange Servers, you will be receiving a separate communication with instructions. Read the Knowledge Base article on What Is An Autodiscover Record And Why Do I Need It? for more information.

Q: Why do I have to upgrade to Exchange 2019? 

A: The upcoming upgrade is an essential part of a good service we strive to provide you with. The upgrade to Exchange 2019 will bring you a more powerful feature set, improved interface, and optimizations for mobile devices. We want to ensure you are using current and stable services.

Q: Can I choose not to upgrade?

A: Unfortunately, no. As Manage Protect wants to ensure the best experience for our customers, we are proactively upgrading the platform well before Microsoft stops supporting it. 

Q: What if I don’t know how to upgrade my Outlook?

A: Upgrading is simple and easy to do via the CONTROL PANEL. Administrators can download Outlook from CONTROL PANEL > Home > Get Started > Downloads. Users can download from My Services > Downloads and Instructions > Download Outlook. For step-by-step instructions and to learn about the scenarios of upgrading read the following Knowledge Base article How To Upgrade Your Outlook Client.

Q: Do I need to reconfigure my account on a mobile phone?

A: No, there is no impact on ActiveSync devices.

Q: Do I need to make changes to my authenticated SMTP relay devices or clients - such as scanners, printers, web forms, etc.?

A: Yes, you do if any of the following scenarios is used in your configuration:

• your device is using port 465 for SMTP send. The port needs to be updated to port 25 or 587 which are supported by Exchange 2019.
• the email address used for authentication (usually specified in the username or login fields in the settings) differs from the FROM address (usually specified in the Email Address or From fields in the settings). Please either:     
  • update your configuration to use the same addresses for SMTP authentication and sending emails;
  • or grant the mailbox that is used for SMTP authentication Send As permissions to the mailbox whose email address is used as the FROM address
•     

Read the Knowledge Base article on How To Configure Your Printer, Scanner, Copier, Web Script Or SMTP Application To Work With An Exchange Account for more information.

Q: Will my Public Folders still work in Exchange 2019?

A: Yes, but there will be a period of time that we need to take down Public Folders to migrate them to Exchange 2019. During this time your mailboxes will also be moved and accessible but the Public Folders will remain offline until the migration is completed.

Q: How will my email experience change with a newer version of Outlook and Exchange?

A: You are likely to experience a number of enhancements with the Exchange and Outlook upgrades. One of the most significant differences is the OWA interface. It has been updated with a more robust feature set, improved look and feel, and optimizations for mobile devices. 

• Email improvements, including a new single-line view of the Inbox with an optimized reading pane, archiving, emojis, and the ability to undo mailbox actions like deleting a message or moving a message.
• Calendar has an updated look and new features, including email reminders for Calendar events, ability to propose a new time in meeting invitations, improved search, and birthday calendars.
• Search suggestions and refiners for an improved search experience that helps users find the information they want, faster. Search suggestions try to anticipate what the user's looking for and returns results that might be what the user is looking for. Search refiners will help a user more easily find the information they're looking for by providing contextually-aware filters. Filters might include date ranges, related senders, and so on.
• Link preview which enables users to paste a link into messages, and Outlook on the web automatically generates a rich preview to give recipients a peek into the contents of the destination. This works with video links as well.
• New Outlook on the web action pane that allows you to quickly click those actions you most commonly use such as New, Reply all, and Delete. A few new actions have been added as well including Archive, Sweep, and Undo.

Note: Most people that are already using Outlook 2013 and up, will likely not notice much of a difference in their day-to-day email use.

Q: What about my other services like SharePoint, Lync, Skype for Business, etc.?

A: All other services will remain as they are now. No changes or action is required on your part.

Q: What about my pricing, will my bill change?

A: Your bill will remain unchanged with this upgrade.

Q: Who do I contact if I have additional questions?

A:  If you have any other questions prior, you can always contact our support staff.