Monday morning. The intranet loads, the request for a service car goes through approval, the material order goes through as well. Everything is running as usual. Just one small detail. Starting July 2026, no one will be taking care of your SharePoint 2016 or 2019 anymore.
Because Microsoft actually ended support The old SharePoint and InfoPath, where almost all requests, orders and approval forms used to be created in most companies and offices. The server still works, just without the security patches. It’s like a car without a MOT – it works until it leaves you stranded in the middle of the road.
Summer is long gone, and yet nothing has happened – that’s exactly the treacherous feeling. Meanwhile, three rounds of security patches have been released by Microsoft, and your server is just filling up with dust. And then there’s autumn, the time when companies and cities plan their budgets for the next year. To solve it after the first incident? Nonsens.
Because „It works“ a „It’s okay“ It’s not the same. The end of support means that every new security hole that appears in the old SharePoint will remain open forever. No one will fix it or patch it up anymore. Not today, not in a month, and not even in a year.
And on SharePoint, you usually don't have unnecessary documents stored. There are contracts, data about clients and employees, invoices, and internal policies. Explaining to the auditor, the insurance company, or the management that this is the whole thing runs on a system for which no one is responsible anymore, Consultation is not exactly popular. For the authorities that manage citizens' data, this applies multiple times.
Almost. For those who want to stay in their own, Microsoft has a successor. It is called SharePoint Server Subscription Edition and, unlike the old versions, it has no end date. If you update it properly, it will serve continuously. You can access it directly from SharePoint 2016 and 2019, without having to go through other versions.
But there is one snag. Not even there InfoPath forms do not have support. They are gone for good. And in the cloud, Microsoft is turning them off too. So whatever you decide, The forms must be modified. A surprise that no one ordered, but that will appear in every package.
A private server is like your personal car. It is yours and you can do whatever you want with it. But someone has to fill it with fuel, service it, wash it, and occasionally replace it with a new one. It makes sense especially if:
Cloud, i.e. SharePoint in Microsoft 365, is more like a car leased for a period of time. You drive on the current model and the provider takes care of servicing, maintenance, and technical updates. You don’t have to maintain your own servers or worry about which version to upgrade to in a few years because you always use the current one. It makes sense especially when you’re already You pay for the Microsoft 365 license, But you only use outlook and the office applications from them. But if you want them to work together, you need to install the Office apps. Their colleagues also received the document on the road, from home or in the field, and you don't have the time or people to manage your own servers. And if you plan to help with AI, Cloud is a clear choice, because the news, including Copilot, comes first here.
Just be careful; moving to the cloud is not just a simple transition from an old car to a new one. Rather, it resembles a comprehensive inspection before the next trip: some components are no longer compatible with the new model, for example the older automatic workflows in Microsoft Cloud. discontinued in April 2026. So expect that some of the equipment will need to be repaired, replaced, or left in the garage during the migration. And as with any thorough inspection, here too you’ll find something that no one ever thought you still carried in the trunk.
Vacation request. Material order. Car reservation. Invoice approval. Once upon a time, someone drew them in InfoPath or the old Nintex, then they left the company and since then no one dared to open them. Now is the time. The good news is that there is enough spare time:
And an even better report at the end. With such cleaning, it usually turns out that some forms have not been used for years and others can be combined into one. Less forms, less clicking, less nonsense.
A few examples from our practice where we put the agenda in a proper place in Microsoft 365 in Opium.systems:
Exactly such agendas still live in old InfoPath or Nintex forms in many companies and offices today, waiting for someone to liberate them.
You don't have to solve everything at once. Just four steps are enough:
Don't know where to start? Try ours Nonsense Scanner. 3 minutes, 8 simple questions and You will see how much time and money unnecessary operations cost you and where it all comes down to the most.. A good stepping stone for decisions regarding SharePoint as well.
The old SharePoint isn’t an accident that happened in July. It’s a warning light that has been turned on and the car is still moving forward. The sooner you go to the service, the more you can handle the situation calmly, rather than on the shoulder lane with a warning triangle.
If your company, city, or organization is considering what to do with old SharePoint and forms, we at Opium.systems are happy to help you. We’ll see what you have, design a path that makes sense for you specifically, and we’ll take it all the way to the end. No nonsense.
Will the old SharePoint stop working for us?
No, it keeps running. Just without security permissions, so the risk increases every month.
Will the new InfoPath server solve the problems?
No. The Subscription Edition no longer supports them. You need to migrate them to a new solution, either stay on the server, or go to the cloud.
Do we have to go to the cloud?
You don't have to. If you have the reason to keep your data with you and someone to take care of the server, having your own server makes sense. However, for many smaller companies and municipalities, the cloud is a simpler way because the hassle of technology is eliminated.
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