Synology Mail Station EOL and Migration Strategy Guide
What to do when your Synology Mail Station and Mail Server reach the end of their lives
Synology has slowly moved away from its old email hosting packages and toward collaboration platforms, SaaS integration, and hybrid cloud services. The announced end-of-life (EOL) for Mail Station and the old Mail Server package shows that this is the way things are going.
Many companies used these packages as lightweight email solutions on their own servers, especially in small offices or controlled internal environments. Now, administrators have to choose between moving to modern services, hosting their own alternatives, or using a mix of the two.
The reason Synology is shutting down Mail Station
Mail Station was made at a time when most businesses hosted their own email. But in the last ten years, the needs for email infrastructure have changed a lot:
- Standards for security went up.
- Spam filtering got more complicated.
- Requirements for compliance got stricter.
- Working from home became normal.
- Email services in the cloud got better.
For most businesses, keeping a full mail system inside a NAS now costs more to run than it is worth. Instead, Synology has focused on:
Collaboration with the cloud
Platforms for backup and recovery
Mixed storage spaces
Centralized systems for identity
So, the EOL fits in with modern infrastructure architecture instead of just being the end of a product’s life.
The Dangers of Using Old Mail Packages
Using mail software that isn’t supported puts your business at serious risk.
Risk to security
Email servers are systems that are open to the public. Eventually, unsupported software stops getting updates for authentication, encryption, and spam handling.
Problems with deliverability
Reputation checks and authentication standards like SPF, DKIM, and DMARC that are always being updated are important for modern mail systems. Old platforms have a hard time staying compliant.
Problems with compliance
More and more rules require policies for keeping data, audit logs, and the ability to restore data quickly. Those controls can’t be guaranteed on unsupported platforms.
Dependency on operations
If the server goes down, the business might not be able to communicate at all. Email downtime quickly turns into business downtime.
Things to think about when moving
1. Switch to Google Workspace or Microsoft 365
This is the most common answer now. Companies move their mail hosting to SaaS but keep local storage for backups and archives.
Pros:
A lot of availability
Updates for security that happen automatically
Filtering spam from all over the world
Integration of mobile devices
After that, NAS systems change from being mail hosts to being protection platforms.
2. Set up a Synology MailPlus Server
MailPlus is the new Synology alternative for businesses that need to keep their email on-site. It has new webmail, better security, and better tools for managing things.
Best for:
Email systems used by the company itself
Controlled network installations
Companies that need to keep their local data very safe
But it still needs good planning for infrastructure and a backup plan.
3. A mix of email systems
Some companies keep their own email systems while also using cloud delivery.
Model example:
Cloud-based email accounts for employees
Local storage for NAS archives
Keeping backups automatically
Failover for disaster recovery
This method keeps things going without having to keep the public mail infrastructure running inside.
Suggested Process for Moving
Step 1: Check the mail data you already have
Find out what mailboxes, aliases, forwarding rules, and retention rules you need.
Step 2: Pick the new platform
Choose between SaaS email, MailPlus, or a mix of the two.
Step 3: Export data and check it
Export PST or mailbox archives and check their integrity before moving them.
Step 4: Change DNS and authentication
During the transition, make sure SPF, DKIM, and DMARC are set up correctly.
Step 5: Make backups right away
Before shutting down the old environment, make sure the new one is safe.
What NAS Does After the Mail Server Is Retired
Even though email hosting is moving away from NAS devices, they are still very useful. They don’t work as mail servers anymore; instead, they protect data:
Email backup storage
Storage for long-term archives
Keeping a legal hold
The recovery environment
This change makes things more reliable because storage and communication services can work on their own.
Mistakes People Make When Moving
During transitions, organizations often run into problems:
Not keeping old emails
Turning off the old server too soon
Not remembering shared mailboxes
Not setting up backups
Not paying attention to permission mapping
Planning ahead keeps data safe and makes sure you follow the rules.
About the Epis technology
Epis Technology helps companies move from old on-premise systems to new hybrid infrastructure in a safe way. The business offers backup services for Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace, consulting and deployment for Synology, large storage systems, and fully managed PC backups. Epis Technology makes sure that organizations can still access old emails safely while upgrading their communication platforms by combining cloud adoption with reliable data protection and disaster recovery planning.