All You Need To Know About SharePoint Server Subscription Edition

Overview

SharePoint Server Subscription Edition represents Microsoft’s latest on-premises collaboration solution. The company announced general availability in December 2021, with subsequent feature updates in June 2022 and September 2022 (version 22H2). Microsoft commits to releasing two feature updates annually, named by calendar year (e.g., 23H1 for spring 2023 updates).

Three Core Design Principles

Microsoft built SharePoint Server SE around three foundational principles:

1. Always up to date — Continuous innovation through regular feature updates
2. Secure and reliable — Enhanced security and performance capabilities
3. Designed for you — Tailored specifically for on-premises environments

Key Capabilities

Constant Updates

Organizations can avoid lengthy major version upgrades while remaining fully supported, receiving innovations through regular feature deployments.

Security Enhancements

• Windows Server 2022 support
• TLS 1.3 encryption protocol implementation
• Modern authentication mechanisms replacing outdated cryptographic algorithms

Modern Authentication Support

OpenID Connect (OIDC): The platform now supports OIDC 1.0 authentication, enabling conditional access controls based on device compliance and multifactor authentication policies.

Enhanced People Picker: Improved resolution of users and groups from modern authentication providers (SAML 1.1 and OIDC 1.0), eliminating custom claims source requirements.

June 2022 Feature Categories

• Authentication and Identity Management
• Deployment and Upgrade
• Farm Administration
• Health and Monitoring
• Hybrid capabilities
• PowerShell enhancements
• Search improvements
• Security updates
• Sites, Lists, and Libraries
• Storage options

Version 22H2 Features (September 2022)

Feature	Release Type
Feature release rings	Standard release
AMSI integration	Standard release
Copy/move in modern libraries	Early release
Bulk editing in modern lists	Early release
Column formatting enhancement	Early release
Button web part	Early release
Default site language selection	Early release
New SharePoint RESTful ListData.svc	Early release

Why Choose SharePoint Server Subscription Edition

SharePoint Server Subscription Edition is ideal for organizations that need to maintain on-premises infrastructure while benefiting from modern features. It bridges the gap between legacy SharePoint Server versions and SharePoint Online, providing a path forward for enterprises not yet ready for a full cloud migration.

Key reasons to consider this edition include:

• Evergreen model — No more disruptive major version upgrades
• Modern authentication — OIDC and enhanced People Picker support
• Improved security posture — TLS 1.3 and AMSI integration
• Feature parity improvements — Modern UI experiences previously exclusive to SharePoint Online
• Simplified upgrade path — Easier migration from SharePoint 2016 or 2019

Conclusion

SharePoint Server Subscription Edition marks a significant shift in how Microsoft approaches on-premises SharePoint. By adopting a continuous update model, organizations can stay current without the disruption of traditional version upgrades. Whether you are planning an upgrade from SharePoint 2016/2019 or evaluating your on-premises options, the Subscription Edition offers a modern, secure, and continuously evolving platform.