Your Options for Microsoft’s 2025 End-of-Support Wave.

2025 is a landmark year for Microsoft customers. If your organization relies on Microsoft software, 2025 is shaping up to be a year of reckoning. Major Microsoft products—including Exchange Server 2016 and 2019, Windows 10, and Office 2016/2019—are all reaching their official end of support (EoS). For IT leaders and business decision-makers, this is more than just a technical milestone: it’s a fork in the road that will shape your IT strategy, budget, and risk profile for years to come.

Here’s the reality:
Microsoft’s end-of-support deadlines are designed to push you into expensive Unified Support contracts, often with little time to evaluate your options. But you don’t have to play by Microsoft’s rules. You have a choice. US Cloud offers a faster, more affordable, and more transparent alternative to Microsoft Unified Support—one that puts you in control of your IT roadmap and budget, regardless of Microsoft’s end-of-life deadlines for their products.

October 14, 2025 – Critical Systems Lose Support

The Cost of Ignoring End-of-Support

• 74% of breaches exploit known vulnerabilities
• $100K – $1M average cost per hour of downtime
• 60% higher breach risk with outdated software

When Microsoft ends support for a product, the business impact goes far beyond just losing access to updates. The risk profile of your entire IT environment changes overnight. Your software will keep running, but you’ll be on your own. And that’s a big risk.

Heightened Security Threats

Unsupported software is a favorite target for cybercriminals. In 2023, the Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report found that 74% of breaches involved exploiting known vulnerabilities for which patches existed—patches that unsupported products no longer receive. The infamous WannaCry ransomware attack, for example, spread rapidly through organizations running out-of-support Windows versions, costing businesses an estimated $4 billion globally.

Compliance and Legal Exposure

Regulatory requirements are tightening. Organizations out of compliance with standards like HIPAA, PCI DSS, or GDPR face breach costs higher than compliant peers. Auditors increasingly flag unsupported software as a violation, leading to fines and reputational damage.

Operational and Financial Risks

Downtime due to unsupported systems can be devastating. Without vendor support, even minor incidents can spiral into major outages, impacting customer trust and business continuity.

Exchange Server support ends in 2025—don’t wait for systems to break.

1. Security Vulnerabilities

Unsupported products don’t receive security patches. That means every new vulnerability is a potential open door for hackers. According to IBM Security’s Cost of a Data Breach Report, organizations running outdated software are 60% more likely to experience a breach.

Additionally, IBM professionals recommend a “trust but verify” approach to integrating third-party support into your system so you don’t multiply vulnerabilities.

2. Compliance Failures

Regulations like HIPAA, PCI DSS, and GDPR require that your systems are up-to-date and supported. Running unsupported Microsoft products can put you out of compliance—and at risk of fines or legal action.

3. Operational Disruption

If something breaks, you’re on your own. Microsoft won’t help, and third-party vendors may not be able to support unsupported products. That can mean downtime, lost productivity, and some very unhappy customers.

4. Forced Upgrades and Bloated Contracts

Microsoft uses end-of-support deadlines to push customers into Unified Support contracts—often with steep price hikes and bundled services you may not need.

For years, Microsoft has used its market dominance to dictate terms to its customers. If you want support, you have to pay—often much more than you did before. And as Gartner notes, “one in three IT buyers are either using or evaluating third-party software support” to escape the vendor lock-in and rising costs. Microsoft’s dominance in the enterprise IT market has historically given it leverage to dictate terms, pricing, and support models. But the tide is turning.

The Microsoft Monopoly is cracking—explore alternatives before the 2025 end-of-support hits.

Here’s what’s happening:

• Price hikes: Unified Support costs are rising fast, with little transparency.
• Slower response times: Microsoft’s support quality has declined, with more offshoring and layoffs.
• Bundled contracts: Microsoft often waits until late in the renewal process to present bundled deals, leaving you little time to evaluate alternatives.
• Lack of partnership: Microsoft’s focus is on selling more services, not solving your business problems.

Thankfully, Microsoft Unified is not your only option for Microsoft support. You do have a choice.

US Cloud is the leading independent provider of third-party Microsoft support. We offer full Microsoft stack coverage—on-premises and in the cloud—at up to half the cost of Microsoft Unified Support, and with twice the speed.

Our Promise:

• 30%-50% savings guaranteed (show us your Unified quote—we’ll beat it by 30% or more)
• <15-minute response times, with financially-backed SLAs
• 100% USA-based senior engineers
• Unlimited Microsoft escalations (including Microsoft Premier Support for Partners)
• Support for all severities, 24/7/365
• Dedicated Microsoft support specialists (not salespeople with quotas)
• Azure spend optimization (average seven-figure savings)

Unlike traditional Microsoft partners, 100% of our revenue comes from replacing Unified Support. It’s all we do.

Organizations are laser-focused on reducing hard costs this year. According to Deloitte’s 2025 MarginPLUS global cost reduction study, reducing costs is now the primary lever for margin improvement among business leaders, with a goal of cutting costs by 26% year-over-year to build resilience and maintain competitiveness.

Additionally, Microsoft negotiation dynamics are changing. The Microsoft renewal process in 2025 is more complex and high-stakes than ever. Industry experts warn that Microsoft often delays meaningful proposals until late in the renewal cycle, leaving you with little time to evaluate alternatives or negotiate better terms.

A free quote from US Cloud gives you something Microsoft won’t: price transparency.
Even if you decide to stay with Microsoft, our quote gives you leverage and negotiation power during your renewal. It’s about putting you back in control—so you can make a business-driven decision, not a vendor-dictated one.

Download the 2025 Microsoft Support Guide

1. Inventory Your Microsoft Environment
   Start by identifying all Microsoft products in use—especially those listed in the 2025 end-of-support table. Prioritize Exchange Server, Windows 10, and Office deployments.
2. Assess Your Support Needs
   Which applications are mission-critical? Where are you most vulnerable to downtime, security breaches, or compliance failures?
3. Get a Free US Cloud Quote
   Arm yourself with price transparency and negotiation power. Compare our offering to Microsoft Unified Support and see the difference for yourself.
4. Compare and Decide
   Evaluate US Cloud’s offering against Microsoft Unified Support. Consider the impact of savings, speed, and control.
5. Act Before Your Renewal
   Don’t let Microsoft run out the clock. Choose now—before Microsoft chooses for you.

2025’s end-of-support wave is a turning point for Microsoft customers. You can fall into the expensive, inflexible Unified Support trap—or you can take control, cut costs, and get better service with US Cloud.

You DO have a choice for Microsoft support.

Get the upper hand. Get your free quote today.

What happens when Microsoft Exchange Server 2016 or 2019 reaches end of support in October 2025?

When Exchange Server 2016 or 2019 reaches end of support, Microsoft will no longer provide security updates, bug fixes, or technical support. Continuing to use unsupported Exchange versions increases your risk of security breaches, compliance violations, and operational disruptions.

What are my options for Microsoft support after end of life for Windows 10 and Office 2016/2019?

After end of life, you can either upgrade to supported Microsoft products, migrate to Microsoft 365, or choose a third-party Microsoft support provider like US Cloud for ongoing technical support and security guidance at a lower cost.

Is third-party Microsoft support really as good as Microsoft’s own support service?

Yes. In fact, US Cloud’s support is often faster and more personalized. Our team consists of senior engineers based in the US (or UK/EU if you prefer), with deep expertise across the Microsoft stack. We offer financially-backed SLAs and unlimited Microsoft escalations.

Can I use US Cloud support if I’m still under contract with Microsoft?

Yes. Many organizations use US Cloud for escalation and specialized support, even while under contract with Microsoft. Our free quote gives you leverage and insight—no obligation required.