Sage CRM
We recently shared the news Microsoft is phasing out the Application Impersonation role for Exchange Online. This process began in May 2024 and will conclude with its full removal by February 2025.
Application Impersonation allows applications to access user mailboxes on their behalf. With its removal, new methods will be required for applications to connect to MS Exchange Online, aimed at enhancing security and standardising mailbox access across Microsoft services.
Sage CRM Impacts
This change only affects Exchange Online users. The Application Impersonation role is essential for Sage CRM’s integration with Exchange Online, enabling the system to access and manage mailbox data.
For organisations using Exchange On-Premise servers:
There is no indication from Microsoft of plans to remove Application Impersonation. It remains assignable and manageable via PowerShell in these environments. Organisations using Exchange On-Premise can continue to utilise Application Impersonation without disruption. The current EWS-based integration will remain unaffected.
For organisations using Exchange Online:
Once the Application Impersonation role is withdrawn, customers using Exchange Online may experience interruptions in connectivity.
What steps are we taking?
To address this change, the Sage CRM team are currently developing version specific patches to ensure the Sage CRM and Exchange Online integration. This patch will ensure compatibility after the removal of Application Impersonation.
For customers implementing Sage CRM with a new instance of Microsoft Exchange Online, we recommend holding off on attempting the integration until the upcoming patches are released. The removal of the Application Impersonation role in Exchange Online has already started affecting new integrations, and these patches will resolve the issue.
From Sage CRM 2025 R1, we will transition the integration from Exchange Web Services (EWS) to Microsoft Graph, providing a future-proof solution for Exchange Online customers.
Please note: in both cases, some manual configuration may be required for your Microsoft Exchange Online environment.
Patch Availability
Patches will be released for the following versions of Sage CRM:
Sage CRM 2022 R2 - this will be patch 2022 R2.6
Sage CRM 2023 R2 - this will be patch 2023 R2.4
Sage CRM 2024 R2 - this will be patch 2024 R2.1
Additionally, the following direct upgrades will be supported:
2022 R1 - 2022 R2.6
2022 R2 - 2022 R2.6
2023 R1 - 2023 R2.4
2023 R2 - 2023 R2.4
2024 R1 - 2024 R2.1
2024 R2 - 2024 R2.1
Integration with Sage Products
These patches, when released, will apply to both standalone Sage CRM installations and those integrated with Sage accounting products, including:
Sage 50
Sage 100 (not for sale in the UK)
Sage 200
Sage 300 (no longer for sale in the UK)
Sage X3
Sage Intacct
