[Article Updated on 4/15/20]
If you haven’t heard, on October 13th, 2020, Microsoft is ending support for Basic Authentication in Office 365. This is done as part of a shift to the more-secure OAuth 2.0 authentication method and will help reduce the chances that credentials can end up in the wrong hands. More information can be found in Microsoft’s post here.
[UPDATE] Microsoft has pushed the launch date to the second half of 2021 due to the effect of COVID-19. You can read more about it here.
[UPDATE] Microsoft has released a new version of the Exchange Connector with support for OAuth. You can get it here.
As a System Center Service Manager (SCSM) user, how does this affect you?
Well, the Exchange Connector for SCSM currently only allows for Basic Authentication. This means the current Exchange Connector (3.1) alongside an Office 365 mailbox will no longer function. Since most SCSM environments make use of one or more Exchange Connectors, this is certainly problematic.
Several customers of ours recently asked about this, and we’re sure more folks will have the same concerns as we inch closer to October. In response, we inquired with Microsoft to see what they had up their sleeve here. While they haven’t yet announced a specific date, we were told that the SCSM Product Group is currently re-writing the Exchange Connector and has committed to releasing it before the October deadline. That’s great news!
Alternatives to waiting for this change.
In case you don’t feel like waiting for the release or are looking to do a little bit more with email, you can also consider implementing a custom Exchange Connector. One of our customers has already written an SMLets-based PowerShell solution that works with on-premise Exchange of Office 365. Check out more info in the Cireson Community thread here.
Anyway, make sure to pencil-in a change window to get this updated one way or another before the October 13th deadline. Oh, and in case you are superstitious, don’t worry: the 13th is a Tuesday, not a Friday!
