2020 Guide To Seamless Migration From Gmail to Microsoft 365
Email communication is an indispensable cog in the modern business. With the spread of offices and staff, sending and receiving timely information has been made easy and convenient. Business organizations have a wide array of email service options at their disposal. Today’s top among the providers in the market is the Gmail service by Google and Microsoft 365 by Microsoft Inc.
Technological crossovers demand meticulous planning since a false start and missteps may be detrimental to business profitability and survival. The rate of failure in tech projects is alarming and the consequences to businesses cannot be ignored. According to the Project Management Institute, 14% of tech projects end up in failure. A Separate 2015 study by the Standish Group reveals that only 29% of IT projects result in success with a 19% failure rate. The study also reveals that 52% of projects are challenged meaning that success is not guaranteed.
Email communication is a critical touchpoint, and you do not want to mess around with the lifeblood of your business, the customers. In this blog, find the steps to follow during Gmail to Microsoft 365 migrations, the common mistakes, and how managed IT services can make the migration seamless.
What are the key steps to follow during the process? Here is an essential guide.
Gather all the Info You Need
The IT staff in your business are the front-line staff in the entire migration process. They need to be well-armed with the right information regarding all aspects of the migration. A good starting point is consulting the Microsoft guide on Gmail to Microsoft 365 migrations. The guide delves into detail the important factors in the transition process, such as how to conduct the migration, what changes users might experience during the changes, and much more.
Passwords Authentication
For a secure transition, you will need to use a password and a two-step authentication protocol. This is because Gmail perceives Outlook as a bit insecure application. The two-step verification process is an additional security layer for users performing the Gmail to Microsoft 365 migration.
Sort the Domain Issues
With the two steps above out of the way, you can now kick off in earnest. However, before the actual migration occurs, businesses seeking to migrate must ascertain that they own the Google domain. Alternatively, companies can do away with the Microsoft.com domain if they experience trouble with the old domain.
Bring Users Onboard
This is the next important step as it requires all users to get involved during the transition process. To achieve this, licenses are added to every user, whether the migration is performed in bulk or batches. The success of migration hinges on users possessing a mailbox and licenses, which entails the online exchange plan. Before proceeding further, pause the setup wizard to enable the successful migration of mailboxes.
Carry Over the Mailboxes
To ace this step, the first list all the Gmail mailboxes set to migrate to Microsoft 365. Besides, the creation of migration files in Excel must be done. This could be either the 2010 or 2013 excel version. As part of the procedure, all passwords must be changed, and temporary passwords created. This makes a list ready for the migration. IT personnel can decide to migrate the entire record in batches or bulk. To do it all at once, the mailboxes should not exceed 50,000 and the file up to a maximum of 10MB.
Link Microsoft 365 to Gmail
The IT expert must connect Gmail mailboxes to the Microsoft 365 mailboxes by creating the required endpoint settings.
Creating a Batch to Migrate
Once the connection established, create an initial batch to migrate from Gmail mailboxes to Microsoft 365. A good recommendation is first to migrate a few mailboxes and transfer the rest in bulk. It is also advisable to establish how long it will take to migrate the whole test batch. This way, you will have a rough idea of the exact time to transfer the entire batch.
Update Domain Name System
At this stage, the migration from Gmail to Microsoft 365 is even closer to completion. The IT personnel should tinker the MX records to indicate Microsoft 365 from Gmail. Next up is fixing the domain by signing in to Microsoft 365, the domains followed by the Fix Issues icon. Follow the ‘What do I fix’ guidelines and flow with the instructions.
Terminate Gmail Synchronization
It typically takes about 72 hours for the email system to come to terms with the new MX record. This is the recommended time that IT personnel must wait before halting Gmail synchronization. During this transition period, email users should exclusively use Microsoft 365 since Gmail mailboxes will be inaccessible later on. Once all mails are re-routed to Microsoft 365, synchronization may be stopped, followed by the batch’s deletion.
Importing Google Contacts
Individual Microsoft 365 users may now import their previous google contacts into their new home. However, the users must have Outlook installed on their desktop to successfully achieve this process.
Common Snags During Migration and How Managed IT Services Can Help
Gmail to Microsoft 365 migrations is not without its fair share of challenges. Common mistakes that may bedevil the process include email delays before getting to the users’ new inboxes. Mismatch in transitional points between Gmail and Microsoft 365 and the human resistance to change is also prevalent.
The good news is that procuring IT company services shifts migration from a potential waterloo to a masterstroke. Managed IT services come in handy as they bring a wealth of experience in the process. The probability of a successful migration is enhanced.
Crucially, internal IT staff are free to drive other business operations without worrying about the migration. Managed IT services offer technical support long after the migration is complete. Any emerging challenges are swiftly dealt with, hence, guaranteeing seamless communication.
Need Help? Call The Gmail to Microsoft 365 Migration Specialists
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