Post by Silicon Reef

SharePoint 16 & SharePoint 19 are reaching end of life this July. On 14 July 2026, Microsoft will end support for SP16 and SP19. In simple terms, if something breaks after that point, Microsoft won’t fix it. That becomes a problem if your intranet, documents, or workflows still rely on it. If you're still on legacy SharePoint, it's time to act - before vulnerabilities go unpatched, compliance pressure grows, friction builds for teams and the platform falls further behind. We’ve moved a lot of organisations off SP16 / 19. This includes clients from public sector, universities, housing providers and global enterprises. Here's what we’ve learned: • Not everything deserves to move. Start by cleaning up. On one 12TB project, we began by removing what wasn’t needed so the client moved into SharePoint Online lighter and easier to manage. • Workflows rarely 'lift-and-shift'. Legacy setups need rethinking and rebuilding properly - not carried forward as-is. • It’s a reset, not a removal. The chance to simplify, fix your information architecture and get Copilot-ready. A practical place to start: 1. Map what’s actually in your environment 2. Keep what adds value, archive the rest 3. Plan your move to SharePoint Online Most of the complexity sits in what’s been built over time - not the platform itself. If you're in IT, now's the time. Audit your environment, define your path, and get ahead of July.