01 · Exchange and Microsoft 365
Get the most from Microsoft 365, securely
From on-premises and hybrid Exchange to fully cloud-based Microsoft 365: secure email, Teams and SharePoint, without the security gaps and wasted licenses most tenants live with.
Quick self-check
Is your Microsoft 365 set up right?
Every account uses multi-factor authentication
Former employees’ access has been removed
You’re not paying for licenses nobody uses
Mail is not running on Exchange Server 2016 or 2019
Your Microsoft 365 data is backed up independently
You know exactly who has admin rights
Not sure about any of these? A free tenant review is a good first pass.
02 · Still on Exchange Server?
Support for Exchange 2016 and 2019 has ended.
Servers that are not patched are an open door. Existing installations keep running, but Microsoft strongly recommends moving. There are two paths:
- Move to Microsoft 365. Microsoft calls it the best and simplest way to retire the old server.
- Upgrade to Exchange Server Subscription Edition (SE). For businesses that need to keep Exchange on-site.
Exchange Server 2016 and 2019
Support ended October 14, 2025
Security fixes
Ended
Bug fixes
Ended
Technical support
Ended
Time zone updates
Ended
Source: Microsoft Learn
The full lifecycle, first mailbox to ongoing admin
Microsoft 365 is powerful, but out of the box it’s rarely configured for security or set up to match how your business works.
1
Migrate
- Email migration to Exchange Online, planned to keep mail flowing
- On-premises and hybrid Exchange administration
2
Configure
- Teams and SharePoint set up for real collaboration
- Clean, secure onboarding and offboarding
3
Secure
- MFA, conditional access and anti-phishing policies
- Email threat detection
4
Optimize
- License review, so you pay for what you use
5
Administer
- Ongoing administration by someone who knows your tenant
Migrations without the horror stories
Everyone has heard one: days of downtime, missing folders, bounced mail. We plan ours to be boring.
1
Inventory
Every mailbox and alias, before anything moves.
2
Stage
Mail keeps flowing while the migration runs.
3
Cut over
On a schedule your team knows in advance.
4
Verify
Every mailbox checked before we call it done.
Whichever path fits your business
Keep Exchange healthy
Your existing on-premises Exchange environment, administered and kept in good shape. Includes upgrading to Exchange SE.
Run hybrid, cleanly
Exchange on-site and Microsoft 365 side by side while mailboxes move on a manageable schedule. If you keep syncing accounts from on-site Active Directory, Microsoft says you need to keep at least one Exchange server.
Cut over to Exchange Online
A full move to the cloud, planned and verified end to end.
Plenty of businesses still run Exchange on-site, often because a past migration stalled or a line-of-business application still expects an on-premises mailbox store. We are comfortable in that world. Source: Microsoft Learn
The defaults that actually matter
The protections most tenants leave switched off.
Multi-factor authentication
99.22%
lower risk of compromise for accounts with MFA, in a Microsoft study of real attack data. For accounts with leaked credentials, 98.56%.
MFA for every account
One of the most effective protections available.
Conditional access
Block logins from places your business will never be.
Anti-phishing and impersonation protection
Tuned for your domain.
Email threat detection
Catch and contain attacks sooner.
Mailbox auditing and alerting
So unusual activity gets noticed.
Independent backup of Microsoft 365 data
Microsoft keeps the service running. Protecting your data is your job.
Microsoft says so itself. Its Services Agreement states: “We recommend that you regularly backup Your Content and Data that you store on the Services or store using Third-Party Apps and Services.” Microsoft Services Agreement, section 6.b
Email security is one layer. Where it fits, we pair it with endpoint protection and tested backups. See Cybersecurity for the full picture.
Stop paying for seats nobody uses
Many tenants carry licenses nobody needs. A licensing review shows what you pay for and what you actually use.
Seats nobody needs
E3 licenses for people who only need Business Basic.
Ghost licenses
Licenses still assigned to employees who left months ago.
Forgotten add-ons
Charges for extras nobody remembers buying.
Three plans, matched to people
Business Basic
For people who mostly need email, Teams, and the web and mobile apps.
Business Standard
For people who also need the desktop Office apps.
Often the right fit
Business Premium
Adds the security layer: advanced phishing defense, conditional access, and device management that lets us protect, and if a device is lost, wipe company data.
We map who needs Premium and who is fine on Standard or Basic, set up a clean joiner-leaver process so licenses follow headcount, and switch on the security features most tenants leave off. Microsoft sells Business Premium for businesses with up to 300 users, and plan contents change, so we check the current plan details before recommending.
Use what you already pay for
Many businesses use only part of their subscription.
Tools you may already own
- Bookings: customer scheduling that syncs to your calendar
- Forms: surveys and intake forms
- Planner: lightweight project tracking
- Lists: for the spreadsheets that outgrew spreadsheets
- OneNote: shared knowledge in one place
Ongoing administration, without a full-time hire
- Accounts provisioned and retired correctly
- Security posture reviewed on a schedule
- Licenses adjusted as headcount changes
- Questions answered by someone who already knows your setup
Deep Microsoft experience, on every version
Abe’s Exchange experience spans version 5.5 through Exchange 2016, including a hybrid Exchange and Microsoft 365 deployment that led to a move of enterprise email to Microsoft 365.
5.5
2000
2003
2007
2010
2013
2016
Hybrid
Microsoft 365
That experience covers on-premises, hybrid and cloud, so the person answering your question has seen the problem before.
09 · Free tenant review
A short list, not a sales pitch.
The shared password taped to a monitor, the ex-employee whose email still works, the mystery charges on the Microsoft invoice. A tenant review looks for all of it, and sorts what we find into three piles:
- What’s risky
- What’s wasteful
- What’s already fine
You get the list whether or not we do the fixing.
Sample tenant report
Accounts without MFA
3
Fix first
Admin accounts
6
Review
Licenses on former staff
2
This month
Paid licenses never used
5
This month
Independent M365 backup
None
Fix first
Illustration with made-up findings
10 · Next step
See how your tenant really looks.
A free review, a plain-English list, and an honest view of what is worth fixing first.
FAQ
Exchange / Microsoft 365 — common questions
Can you migrate us from Google Workspace or old Exchange?
Yes — Google Workspace, on-premises Exchange, GoDaddy email, POP/IMAP hosting, or a tangle of personal accounts. Mail, contacts, and calendars come across, and we plan the move so mail keeps flowing.
Does Microsoft back up our email and files?
No — Microsoft keeps the service online, but deleted or ransomed data is your problem, and retention defaults are shorter than most owners assume. We add independent Microsoft 365 backup so mail, OneDrive, SharePoint, and Teams data stay recoverable for as long as your retention settings keep them.
Do we need an expensive license for every employee?
Often not. Front-line staff often need only Business Basic while others need desktop apps. Right-sizing licenses is often a quick saving.
Is Exchange Server 2016 or 2019 still safe to run?
Support for both ended on October 14, 2025. Microsoft no longer provides security fixes, bug fixes, technical support or time zone updates for them. They continue to run, but Microsoft strongly recommends moving to Microsoft 365 or upgrading to Exchange Server Subscription Edition (SE).
Which Microsoft 365 plan is right for us?
For many small businesses Business Premium is a good fit because it adds advanced phishing defense, conditional access and device management to the desktop apps. We map who on your team needs Premium and who is fine on Standard or Basic.
Service area
Exchange / Microsoft 365 across our region
We deliver this service on-site and remotely throughout McHenry County, the NW suburbs, and SE Wisconsin.
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