For years, organizations have kept one lonely Exchange Server alive—just to manage mailboxes for synced users. But now, Microsoft has delivered the switch we’ve all been waiting for: Cloud-Managed Remote Mailboxes.

This new capability lets you manage mailbox properties for synced users directly in Exchange Online. No more bouncing between on-prem and cloud consoles. No more hybrid dependencies. Just pure cloud control.

🧭 Three Phases to Freedom

Microsoft is rolling this out in three phases:

✅ Phase 1: Create in the Cloud

Admins can now create remote mailboxes for synced users directly in Exchange Online.

🔄 Phase 2: Manage in the Cloud

You can modify mailbox properties—aliases, policies, permissions—without touching Exchange Server.

🧹 Phase 3: Decommission

Once all mailbox management is cloud-native, you can finally retire your last Exchange Server.

🛠️ How to Activate It

If you already have synced users with mailboxes, here’s how to flip the switch:

Set-Mailbox <identity> -IsExchangeCloudManaged:$true

This tells Exchange Online: “I’m managing this mailbox in the cloud now.” From this point on, you can use Exchange Online PowerShell to update mailbox settings, assign policies, and more—without needing an on-prem Exchange server.

🚀 Why It Matters

This isn’t just a technical update—it’s a strategic shift. By enabling cloud-managed mailbox control, you can:

• Simplify your infrastructure
• Reduce operational overhead
• Improve security posture
• Finally say goodbye to Exchange Server

🧠 Final Thoughts

Cloud-Managed Remote Mailboxes are the missing piece in the full cloud puzzle. If you’ve been waiting for the moment to go all-in on Exchange Online—this is it. Flip the switch, manage in the cloud, and retire that last Exchange box for good.