Sage CRM 2025 R2 marks the completion of a major modernisation project for our Microsoft Exchange Online integration. With this release, Sage CRM has fully transitioned from Exchange Web Services to Microsoft Graph and now supports Contact and Task synchronisation using Microsoft’s Modern Authentication framework.
This change ensures that customers using Exchange Online can continue to rely on seamless calendar, task and contact management between Sage CRM and Microsoft 365.
Why the Change Was Needed
Microsoft has been deprecating legacy authentication models for some time. A key milestone was the removal of the Application Impersonation role in Exchange Online. This role had been essential for the classic Exchange Web Services integration used by many products, including earlier versions of Sage CRM. Once it was removed, EWS based integrations could no longer operate reliably.
Sage published several advisories explaining the timeline and the impact of Microsoft’s changes, and these were widely shared with our partners and customers.
To safeguard continuity for our customers, we began the transition to Microsoft Graph and to OAuth 2 based authentication in Sage CRM 2025 R1. At that point, the integration supported synchronisation of appointments. With the release of Sage CRM 2025 R2, we have completed this transition with support for Contacts and Tasks as well.
What Is New in Sage CRM 2025 R2
Sage CRM 2025 R2 now provides a complete set of synchronisation options for Exchange Online using Microsoft Graph:
• Appointment synchronisation
• Contact synchronisation
• Task synchronisation
These features use OAuth 2.0 (Modern Authentication) and offer a more secure and reliable experience. Microsoft Graph provides better long-term stability than EWS and aligns Sage CRM with Microsoft’s recommended integration pattern.
Exchange Online vs Exchange On-Premise
It is important to recognise that these changes apply only to Exchange Online, which is part of Microsoft 365 and constantly updated by Microsoft. In this environment, partners and customers must adapt to Microsoft’s evolving security and compliance policies. The removal of Application Impersonation and the deprecation of EWS are examples of these platform-wide changes.
Exchange On-Premise is different. It is installed, configured and updated by the customer. Microsoft has not removed the Application Impersonation role in Exchange Server, and so EWS continues to operate. If a customer runs Exchange Server on-premise, they can continue to use the classic EWS based integration in Sage CRM.
Getting Ready for the Future
The move to Microsoft Graph and OAuth 2 lays the foundation for further improvements in future releases. We will be looking at simplifying the configuration of Entra ID app registrations, removing unnecessary manual steps and helping administrators set up secure integrations more easily.
This work is part of Sage CRM’s long-term commitment to modernisation across the product and is supported by our roadmap and resources shared with partners at major events and updates.
Summary
Sage CRM 2025 R2 completes the transition to Microsoft Graph for Exchange Online integration. Customers using Microsoft 365 now have reliable synchronisation of Contacts, Tasks and Appointments. This change was driven by Microsoft’s removal of the Application Impersonation role and the deprecation of EWS.
Exchange On-Premise customers can continue to use the classic integration without change. For Exchange Online customers, Sage CRM is now fully aligned with Microsoft’s latest authentication and integration standards.
Sage will continue to invest in deeper integration with Entra ID and enhanced support for secure, modern authentication as we move forward.