Mail and calendars
Every mailbox, shared mailbox, calendar and distribution list moved with permissions intact.
IT Projects
Migration To Microsoft 365
Moving to Microsoft 365 is mostly a data project, not a clicking-next project. We plan the cutover, move everything in the right order, and keep the mail flowing while we do it.
The bit nobody warns you about
The software part of a migration is straightforward. The difficult part is everything attached to the old system that nobody remembers: shared mailboxes, distribution lists, calendar permissions, an old scanner that emails a folder, and a public folder from 2011 that three people still rely on.
We inventory all of it before we move anything. Then we run the migration in stages during a planned window, most often over a weekend, so staff arrive on Monday to working mail and the same folder shortcuts as before.
What the move covers
Files and SharePoint
Home drives and shared folders restructured into SharePoint or OneDrive, rather than dumped into one site with a mess of permissions.
Accounts and permissions
Licences assigned to the right people, group membership rebuilt, and leavers cleaned out during the move rather than after it.
Security settings
Multi-factor authentication, mail filtering and sign-in controls configured as part of the migration, not sold separately afterwards.
Devices and phones
Outlook, mobile mail and Teams set up on the devices people actually use, including any line-of-business app that sends mail.
Staged cutover
Mail flows through both systems during the change, so nothing is lost if a step overruns its window.
What we find in the old system
- A shared mailbox that half the company can access, including people who left two years ago
- Calendars with permissions inherited from a manager who retired, blocking anyone else from editing
- Mail forwarding rules on old accounts that quietly route invoices to a personal inbox
- A public folder holding the only copy of the company price list
- Mailboxes sitting at 99% full because nobody wanted to be the one who deleted the archive
- A scanner or line-of-business app sending mail through the old server on a hardcoded address
The cutover weekend
We lower the DNS record time-to-live a few days before, so the switch takes effect within minutes rather than hours. Mail is copied in advance, then a final sync runs on the night. Old mailboxes stay readable for a period so nothing is stranded.
Most migrations run in a single evening. The ones that run long are almost always the ones where nobody knew about an odd application sending mail on a hardcoded server address.
What we need from you
- A list of who uses what, especially the shared mailboxes
- The quiet window for cutover, and who is on call if a decision is needed
- Account credentials and access to the domain registrar
- Someone to test mail, files and calendars on the Monday morning
Questions we get asked about Migration To Microsoft 365
How long does a migration take?
Most small businesses move over a single evening or weekend. The preparation takes longer than the move itself, and that is where the risk is managed.
Will we lose any email?
No. Mail is copied ahead of the cutover and both systems run in parallel during the change, so nothing slips between them.
What about our old data?
We move what is in use and archive or hand over what is not. Nothing is deleted from the old system until you confirm the new one looks right.
Do we need new computers?
Usually not. Microsoft 365 runs on most machines from the last several years. We will flag any device that genuinely will not cope before you spend anything.
What happens to our old email address?
It moves with you. Your domain stays your domain; only the service behind it changes.
Not sure whether you need migration to microsoft 365?
Book a free 60-minute health check. We will tell you what you actually need, including when the answer is nothing.