Google Suite and Office 365 are undoubtedly two of the most popular cloud-based productivity platforms. While Gmail provides essential email communication, its storage limitation acts as an impediment to business growth. Office 365, on the other hand, provides a great deal of flexibility for businesses to access all that is required by their teams. With advanced security features, seamless collaboration and mobile accessibility, Office 365 is a clear winner. Let us now understand the process of email migration from Google Workspace to Microsoft Outlook, shedding light on the nuances and challenges and highlighting the role of Cloud Migration in Australia.
Before we get started, let us emphasise the importance of migrating to Office 365 and its challenges quickly.
Why migrate from Google Workspace to Office 365?
- Office 365 is exclusively built for business, and hence, it acts more like a do-it-all platform. With the integration of powerful applications like Word, Teams, and OneDrive, the platform is completely aligned and connected, eliminating the need to switch during communication.
- While Gmail is safe, Office 365 is more robust with its anti-malware security arrangements and strong encryption.
- Active collaboration can be established effortlessly with Office 365: SharePoint, OneDrive and Teams can work together on the same document.
- Office 365 is scalable and always available. Everything functions simultaneously. With Google, you may need to switch between Gmail, Docs, Calendar, and other services. Speed and growth go hand in hand.
A carefully thought-out step-by-step process of migrating from Google Workspace to Microsoft 365 will help. Let us now proceed to the next steps.
Stage 1: Preparing the Google Workspace for migration:
- Determine the types of data to be migrated with clarity. Is it necessary to transfer the entire email inbox, or is it only required to transfer Google Drive files, contacts, and calendars.
- If there are multiple user accounts in Google Workspace, create a complete list of all active and inactive accounts and decide on the number of user accounts that need to be transferred to Microsoft 365 and those that are no longer required.
- If you need to retain some inboxes, consider migrating them into a single mailbox in Microsoft 365 for archival purposes. Meanwhile, review the contents of smaller accounts and remember that not migrating them can reduce costs and efforts.
- Freeze on a schedule and estimate the time needed for the migration. Migration time depends on the size of accounts and their performance. Assess options and then proceed.
- Decide whether to retain or change the domain and switch service providers accordingly, before purchasing from a preferred provider.
Select a suitable subscription and purchase user licences from Microsoft 365, based on a variety of business plans offered. Free storage space available to users will depend on the Microsoft 365 package; accordingly, provision is to be made for users who may be using large accounts in Google Workspace.
Stage 2 Select an Office 365 Migration Tool
- After stage 1, once a transition plan is in place, the next step is to migrate user data.
- There are two approaches now: either using an efficient third-party services provider or opting for Microsoft’s free migration tools, which require more knowledge and preparation.
- When planning a Google to Microsoft migration, the choice of an Office 365 migration tool can significantly impact the process.
- Microsoft offers several free applications to migrate user data, including the IMAP mailbox migration tool for email migrations and Microsoft Migration Manager for drive file migrations.
- Microsoft’s IMAP migration tool has several limitations, including password hurdles and support only for emails, not for contacts, calendars, etc. The best step forward will be to consult a cloud services provider for email migration from Google to Office 365.
Stage 3: Be Aware of Challenges
- Temporary downtime or limited access to data may occur as the source and destination accounts respond more slowly during the transfer.
- Migration processes can be scheduled during holidays or weekends without any temporary deactivation of accounts during the transfer.
- Since Gmail uses labels and Outlook uses folders, Gmail labels may not translate directly to Outlook’s folder-based system, and users must be prepared for that.
- Converting Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides to Microsoft formats (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) can lead to formatting inconsistencies. Using a Third-party migration software helps avoid these issues.
- There is a chance of data loss during migration due to interruptions or improperly configured tools. Paid third-party tools help mitigate risks associated with data loss.
- Clear communication with users about the entire process, both before and after migration from Google Workspace to Microsoft 365, is crucial.
- Backing up critical data can be a good practice during the period of transition.
Stage 4: Post Migration from Google to Microsoft 365
- Evaluate the migration results by comparing data in the source and migration, and generate reports as necessary.
- Remember to modify the domain DNS records to point emails to Microsoft 365.
- Tweak final settings in Microsoft 365, such as adding the company logo, setting up email forwarding, auto-replies, and signatures. You can now also choose to create shared libraries for collaboration.
- Wait for a limited period before completely getting rid of Google Workspace.
Who Can Help Migrate from Google to Microsoft 365?
Migrating from Gmail to Outlook is a significant step in transitioning from Google Workspace to Microsoft 365, and particularly so for growing small to medium-sized businesses. With the expertise of Cloud Migration services, Australian firms can navigate this journey in a seamless and scalable manner. This knowledge, tools and skills are needed to ensure an effortless email migration with minimal disruptions to your organisation’s communication flow.
By recognising the importance of email migration and leveraging the capabilities of experienced Cloud Migration service providers such as Kloudify who are Microsoft Gold partners, Australian businesses can embrace the power of Microsoft 365’s Outlook, enhancing productivity and collaboration across the board. Talk to our team right away!
