Microsoft Identity Manager End of Life (EOL) Dates & Support Timeline
Complete end-of-life dates, support windows, and security status for all Microsoft Identity Manager versions. Dates read at the vendor's own lifecycle pages (learn.microsoft.com). Updated at every deploy.
Microsoft Identity Manager 2016 is supported until January 9, 2029, its end-of-support date. Active support for Microsoft Identity Manager 2016 ends on January 12, 2021. It is also the next Microsoft Identity Manager version to reach end of life. 2 of 3 tracked Microsoft Identity Manager versions are past end of life; the most recent to reach it, 2010 R2 (Forefront Identity Manager), did so on October 11, 2022. The full Microsoft Identity Manager lifecycle, with every version's release and end-of-support date, is in the table below.
Running an EOL version? Get matched with support options — free ↓| Version | Latest Release | Release Date | EOL Date | Days | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 (Forefront Identity Manager) | — | May 27, 2010 | Oct 11, 2022 | 1467 days past EOL | EOL |
| 2010 R2 (Forefront Identity Manager) | — | Jul 24, 2012 | Oct 11, 2022 | 1467 days past EOL | EOL |
| 2016 | 4.7.6.0 | Sep 28, 2015 | Jan 9, 2029 | 815 days remaining | Active |
Live EOL badge for your README — updates automatically at every build.
[](https://endoflife.ai/microsoft-identity-manager)
Microsoft Identity Manager lifecycle status — the real story
Microsoft Identity Manager (MIM) 2016 is Microsoft's on-premises identity synchronization and self-service password server, the successor to Forefront Identity Manager 2010 and 2010 R2. It follows the Fixed Lifecycle Policy. Microsoft extended its Extended Support by three years, and the lifecycle page notes that Azure Support stays available for the Azure AD integration components through the end of Extended Support. Microsoft shipped a Service Pack 3 rollup (build 4.7.6.0) in 2026; the lifecycle page has not added a Service Pack 3 row yet, so no separate Service Pack 2 end is served. Both Forefront Identity Manager releases are past the end of Extended Support.
Microsoft Identity Manager release and support pattern
Of the 3 release lines tracked, 2 are past end of life and 1 is still within support. The newest line, 2016, was released September 28, 2015. The next scheduled end of life is 2016 on January 9, 2029 — 815 days from this build.
Computed from the tracked release data at every build — the figures above are the dates in the table, restated, not an editorial estimate.
What does Microsoft Identity Manager end of life mean for your organization?
When a version of Microsoft Identity Manager reaches end of life, the maintainers stop issuing security patches. Vulnerabilities discovered after this date are publicly disclosed on the National Vulnerability Database, exploit code appears on GitHub, and your systems remain permanently exposed.
The CVE blind spot: A CVE-based scan does not show the accumulation of unpatched vulnerabilities in EOL software. Some scanners flag unsupported versions of common products, but coverage varies, and none of them give you the date in advance. With a zero-day, nobody knows about the vulnerability. With EOL software, the vulnerability is public — listed, rated, and often weaponized — but no vendor patch is coming. This is one of the most dangerous gaps in enterprise security posture.
Organizations running EOL Microsoft Identity Manager should treat it as a vulnerability class in their risk register, apply compensating controls (network segmentation, enhanced monitoring, access restriction), and prioritize migration to a supported version.
Your options when Microsoft Identity Manager reaches end of life
There are four realistic paths. Which one is right depends far more on how long the system needs to keep running than on the version you are on today.
| Option | Best when | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Move to a supported version | The system will outlive the current version's support window and you can schedule the work | Budget for compatibility testing, not just the upgrade itself — that is where the real cost sits |
| Replace the component | The project is unmaintained, or a better-supported alternative exists | The replacement has its own lifecycle and its own end-of-life date — you are changing vendors, not escaping the problem |
| Buy extended support | Migration is genuinely underway but cannot finish before the deadline, or the workload is frozen by certification or a third-party application | A bridge, not a destination — every year purchased is a year the migration still has to happen |
| Document accepted risk | The system is isolated, short-lived, or scheduled for retirement | Only defensible with real compensating controls and a written decision — auditors treat undocumented end-of-life software as a finding |
How to choose, in one question: how many more years does this system need to run? Under a year, extended support (where it exists) is usually cheaper than an emergency migration. One to three years, migrate — support purchased repeatedly costs more than doing the project once, and the project only gets harder as the version ages. Indefinitely, migrate now and plan the next migration before it surprises you.
Worth saying plainly, because vendors selling extended support rarely will: extended support is often the more expensive choice over a multi-year horizon. It is the right answer when a deadline is genuinely unreachable, not as a default. Compare the annual fee against the one-time cost of migrating before committing to either.
Formalizing decisions like this across your estate? Our free EOL policy template is a ready-to-adopt policy with risk tiers, remediation SLAs, and audit mapping — no signup, free to use and share.
Extended Support Options
If you cannot migrate immediately, extended support vendors provide continued security patches for EOL Microsoft Identity Manager versions. This is a bridge, not a permanent solution — plan your migration in parallel.
Microsoft Identity Manager has 2 versions past end of life — security patches have stopped, but CVE disclosures haven't. Extended support past the official date exists for many products in this position — whether it exists for Microsoft Identity Manager is exactly what we check. Tell us where to reach you and we'll reply with matched options and pricing guidance — or an honest "no vendor covers this."