Migration

Plan your move to Microsoft 365

Four ways businesses arrive here: Google Workspace, a Microsoft tenant somebody else set up, mail bundled with web hosting, or an Exchange server in a cupboard. Each has a different method and the same aim — protect continuity with agreed scope, validation, and a cutover window based on readiness.

Included migration and onboarding work follows your agreed plan and written scope. Mailbox and data volumes, source systems, device setup, and any rebuilds are confirmed before work starts. Extra work is quoted and approved separately. Existing customers retain their agreed contractual terms.

The honest downtime answer

A planned cutover with continuity checks and reconciliation.

We plan an initial sync, retain the old system while the new one is checked where the source supports it, and reconcile mail received during the switch. DNS caching can send mail to both systems during propagation; allow for 24–48 hours, potentially longer depending on the provider and configuration. Keep source access and subscriptions active until validation is complete and closure is agreed. These safeguards reduce disruption but do not guarantee zero mail loss or zero downtime. The cutover window is agreed after scope and readiness checks.

Where you are moving from

These paths describe possible work. Your agreed plan and written scope determine what is included; extra work is quoted and approved separately. We confirm supported data, volumes, and rebuilds before starting.

From Google Workspace

We assess Gmail, Drive, and Calendar for migration and confirm the supported data and conversion work in your written scope.

What can be scoped to move

Mail, including folders — Gmail labels become Outlook folders, and nested labels become nested folders.
Calendars, including recurring events and the meeting rooms you have defined.
Contacts, both personal and shared directory entries.
Google Drive and Shared Drive files into OneDrive and SharePoint, with the folder structure preserved.
Groups and distribution lists, rebuilt as Microsoft 365 groups or shared mailboxes.

What does not, or needs rebuilding

Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides convert to Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. Most convert cleanly; heavily scripted Sheets and complex Docs formatting need checking, and we flag those before the move.
Apps Script automations need assessment and possible rebuilding as Azure workflows; rebuilds must be included in the written scope or approved separately.
Google Vault holds and Chat history do not transfer; if you need them, keep the Workspace subscription for the retention period.

What cutover looks like

1We provision the Microsoft tenant and verify your domain while Google is still live and untouched.
2We run an initial mail and file sync and check the results before cutover.
3We switch the MX record on an agreed evening, then run a delta sync to pick up anything that arrived during the switch.
4Your team signs in to Outlook at the agreed cutover. Keep your Workspace subscription active until we have reviewed migration results and you approve closure.

Expected downtime

We plan to retain Google mail access during the switch and reconcile messages received there. DNS propagation can take 24–48 hours or longer; source access, licensing, and sync results affect continuity. We agree the expected disruption after assessment.

What we need from you

Your Google Workspace owner or super-admin to approve migration access and carry out setup through an approved secure method. Never send admin passwords or recovery codes through chat or request forms.
Access to your DNS, or someone available to change one record while we are on the call.
A list of shared drives and who should be able to reach each one.
A decision on which Docs and Sheets are business-critical, so we test those conversions first.

From An existing or retail Microsoft 365 tenant

You already have Microsoft 365, bought direct or set up by someone who has since disappeared. Nothing moves — we take it over and fix it.

What can be scoped to move

Nothing has to migrate at all. Your mail, files, and tenant stay exactly where they are.
What changes is management: we take a proper look at the tenant and put right what was never set up.
Where a second tenant exists from a merger or an old brand, we consolidate mailboxes and sites into one.

What does not, or needs rebuilding

Your subscription stays in your own name on your own payment method. Nothing about your billing relationship with Microsoft changes.
Existing licences are not reissued. If you are on the wrong tier we tell you, and you change it yourself in your own admin center.

What cutover looks like

1We run an audit of the tenant as it stands: mail delivery records, permissions, shared access, admin accounts, and anything a previous provider left behind.
2You consent to a named ID360 application in your own admin center, revocable by you at any time. Its Microsoft Graph permissions are tenant-wide rather than confined to the mailboxes and sites you nominate — the terms set out exactly how wide, and how to narrow the Exchange half from your own tenant.
3We hand you the audit findings before we change anything, including anything we think is a genuine risk.
4We fix what we agreed, then start building your automations. Nobody has to sign in differently.

Expected downtime

None expected — there is no mail cutover, because mail is already where it is going to be. Anything we change that could interrupt people — a permission model, a conditional access policy — is scheduled with you and rolled out gradually.

What we need from you

A global administrator in your business who can grant that consent.
The name of whoever set the tenant up, if you know it, and any account they still hold.
Access to your DNS, so we can correct mail delivery records if they are wrong.
A list of anything that has been quietly broken, however small.

From IMAP, cPanel, or your web host's mail

Mail bundled with your website hosting. It works until it does not — and it usually has no calendar, no backup, and a mailbox quota from 2011.

What can be scoped to move

Mail, folder by folder, over IMAP — including everything sitting in Sent and Archive.
Address books, where the host exposes them in a usable format.
Aliases and forwarders, rebuilt as proper shared mailboxes and distribution groups.

What does not, or needs rebuilding

Calendars and contacts, in most cases: cPanel-style mail rarely stores them centrally, so they usually live in each person's mail client and we export them per machine.
Server-side filters and vacation rules — we rebuild these as Outlook rules.
Webmail settings, signatures, and folder colours. Each person sets those up again once.

What cutover looks like

1We inventory the mailboxes with your owner or administrator and agree the source provider's supported secure migration method. Any required mailbox credentials are entered only through that approved method, never through chat or request forms.
2We sync every mailbox into Microsoft 365 in the background while the old mail keeps running.
3We change the MX record on an agreed evening and run a delta sync afterwards to catch anything that arrived mid-switch.
4Once everything has arrived, we help you turn the hosting mailbox off and reclaim the storage — on your decision, not a clock.

Expected downtime

We lower DNS TTLs beforehand where supported and plan to keep source mailboxes accessible during reconciliation. DNS propagation can take 24–48 hours or longer. Provider availability and sync limits affect disruption; continuity is checked before source closure.

What we need from you

A full list of every mailbox, alias, and forwarder — including the ones nobody uses but everybody would miss.
IMAP server details and your owner or administrator's approval for the secure migration method. If per-mailbox credentials are required, use only that approved method; never send passwords or recovery codes through chat or request forms.
Access to DNS, which for hosted mail is often at the same provider.
A warning if any mailbox is close to its quota; nearly full mailboxes sync slowest.

From On-premises Exchange

A physical Exchange server in a cupboard. Moving off it is the biggest of these jobs and the one that most reliably pays for itself.

What can be scoped to move

Mailboxes, calendars, contacts, and tasks, with the folder structure intact.
Public folders, either as-is or reshaped into shared mailboxes and SharePoint libraries — usually the better answer.
Distribution groups and mail-enabled security groups.
File shares alongside the mail, into SharePoint and OneDrive, where you want that done at the same time.

What does not, or needs rebuilding

Transport rules and custom connectors are rebuilt rather than copied — Exchange Online expresses them differently.
Anything that relies on a server on your network, such as a scanner or line-of-business app that sends mail through it, needs reconfiguring. We inventory these first, because they are the usual cause of a nasty surprise.
Third-party archive and journaling products need their own extraction; we scope this separately.

What cutover looks like

1We inventory the server first: mailbox sizes, public folders, transport rules, and every device or application that relays mail through it.
2For a larger team we run a hybrid configuration, so mailboxes move in batches with mail flowing correctly between the moved and the not-yet-moved.
3For smaller teams, a single cutover window may be appropriate; we agree the approach and timing after assessment.
4We reconfigure the agreed scanners, apps, and relays, then review validation results with you before any separately agreed server decommissioning.

Expected downtime

Mailbox interruptions depend on the migration method, source health, volume, and access. We agree maintenance windows and any staged or hybrid approach after inventory. DNS propagation can take 24–48 hours or longer; there is no fixed downtime guarantee.

What we need from you

Your Exchange and Active Directory administrator to approve access and carry out setup through the agreed secure migration method; never send admin passwords or recovery codes through chat or request forms.
Mailbox sizes and counts, so we can size the batches and be honest about elapsed time.
A list of every device and application that sends mail through the server — printers, scanners, accounting software, the alarm system.
Access to DNS, and a maintenance window agreed in advance.

Timing is estimated after scope review and depends on licensing, access, source-system readiness, and DNS readiness. Cutover and go-live dates are agreed with you; a one-week launch is not guaranteed. Mailbox count, mailbox size, and your current provider's throttling also affect elapsed time. We give you an estimate after inventory and scope review. See the onboarding phases.

How it works Browse automations What we manage in each app Which licence do I need?

Tell us where your mail lives now

Twenty minutes on a call and we'll tell you the method, the realistic timeline, and the one thing most likely to be awkward about your particular setup.

Request migration scope

Plan your move to Microsoft 365

A planned cutover with continuity checks and reconciliation.

Where you are moving from

From Google Workspace

We assess Gmail, Drive, and Calendar for migration and confirm the supported data and conversion work in your written scope.

What can be scoped to move

Mail, including folders — Gmail labels become Outlook folders, and nested labels become nested folders.
Calendars, including recurring events and the meeting rooms you have defined.
Contacts, both personal and shared directory entries.
Google Drive and Shared Drive files into OneDrive and SharePoint, with the folder structure preserved.
Groups and distribution lists, rebuilt as Microsoft 365 groups or shared mailboxes.

What does not, or needs rebuilding

Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides convert to Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. Most convert cleanly; heavily scripted Sheets and complex Docs formatting need checking, and we flag those before the move.
Apps Script automations need assessment and possible rebuilding as Azure workflows; rebuilds must be included in the written scope or approved separately.
Google Vault holds and Chat history do not transfer; if you need them, keep the Workspace subscription for the retention period.

What cutover looks like

1We provision the Microsoft tenant and verify your domain while Google is still live and untouched.
2We run an initial mail and file sync and check the results before cutover.
3We switch the MX record on an agreed evening, then run a delta sync to pick up anything that arrived during the switch.
4Your team signs in to Outlook at the agreed cutover. Keep your Workspace subscription active until we have reviewed migration results and you approve closure.

Expected downtime

What we need from you

Your Google Workspace owner or super-admin to approve migration access and carry out setup through an approved secure method. Never send admin passwords or recovery codes through chat or request forms.
Access to your DNS, or someone available to change one record while we are on the call.
A list of shared drives and who should be able to reach each one.
A decision on which Docs and Sheets are business-critical, so we test those conversions first.

From An existing or retail Microsoft 365 tenant

You already have Microsoft 365, bought direct or set up by someone who has since disappeared. Nothing moves — we take it over and fix it.

What can be scoped to move

Nothing has to migrate at all. Your mail, files, and tenant stay exactly where they are.
What changes is management: we take a proper look at the tenant and put right what was never set up.
Where a second tenant exists from a merger or an old brand, we consolidate mailboxes and sites into one.

What does not, or needs rebuilding

Your subscription stays in your own name on your own payment method. Nothing about your billing relationship with Microsoft changes.
Existing licences are not reissued. If you are on the wrong tier we tell you, and you change it yourself in your own admin center.

What cutover looks like

1We run an audit of the tenant as it stands: mail delivery records, permissions, shared access, admin accounts, and anything a previous provider left behind.
2You consent to a named ID360 application in your own admin center, revocable by you at any time. Its Microsoft Graph permissions are tenant-wide rather than confined to the mailboxes and sites you nominate — the terms set out exactly how wide, and how to narrow the Exchange half from your own tenant.
3We hand you the audit findings before we change anything, including anything we think is a genuine risk.
4We fix what we agreed, then start building your automations. Nobody has to sign in differently.

Expected downtime

What we need from you

A global administrator in your business who can grant that consent.
The name of whoever set the tenant up, if you know it, and any account they still hold.
Access to your DNS, so we can correct mail delivery records if they are wrong.
A list of anything that has been quietly broken, however small.

From IMAP, cPanel, or your web host's mail

Mail bundled with your website hosting. It works until it does not — and it usually has no calendar, no backup, and a mailbox quota from 2011.

What can be scoped to move

Mail, folder by folder, over IMAP — including everything sitting in Sent and Archive.
Address books, where the host exposes them in a usable format.
Aliases and forwarders, rebuilt as proper shared mailboxes and distribution groups.

What does not, or needs rebuilding

Calendars and contacts, in most cases: cPanel-style mail rarely stores them centrally, so they usually live in each person's mail client and we export them per machine.
Server-side filters and vacation rules — we rebuild these as Outlook rules.
Webmail settings, signatures, and folder colours. Each person sets those up again once.

What cutover looks like

1We inventory the mailboxes with your owner or administrator and agree the source provider's supported secure migration method. Any required mailbox credentials are entered only through that approved method, never through chat or request forms.
2We sync every mailbox into Microsoft 365 in the background while the old mail keeps running.
3We change the MX record on an agreed evening and run a delta sync afterwards to catch anything that arrived mid-switch.
4Once everything has arrived, we help you turn the hosting mailbox off and reclaim the storage — on your decision, not a clock.

Expected downtime

What we need from you

A full list of every mailbox, alias, and forwarder — including the ones nobody uses but everybody would miss.
IMAP server details and your owner or administrator's approval for the secure migration method. If per-mailbox credentials are required, use only that approved method; never send passwords or recovery codes through chat or request forms.
Access to DNS, which for hosted mail is often at the same provider.
A warning if any mailbox is close to its quota; nearly full mailboxes sync slowest.

From On-premises Exchange

A physical Exchange server in a cupboard. Moving off it is the biggest of these jobs and the one that most reliably pays for itself.

What can be scoped to move

Mailboxes, calendars, contacts, and tasks, with the folder structure intact.
Public folders, either as-is or reshaped into shared mailboxes and SharePoint libraries — usually the better answer.
Distribution groups and mail-enabled security groups.
File shares alongside the mail, into SharePoint and OneDrive, where you want that done at the same time.

What does not, or needs rebuilding

Transport rules and custom connectors are rebuilt rather than copied — Exchange Online expresses them differently.
Anything that relies on a server on your network, such as a scanner or line-of-business app that sends mail through it, needs reconfiguring. We inventory these first, because they are the usual cause of a nasty surprise.
Third-party archive and journaling products need their own extraction; we scope this separately.

What cutover looks like

1We inventory the server first: mailbox sizes, public folders, transport rules, and every device or application that relays mail through it.
2For a larger team we run a hybrid configuration, so mailboxes move in batches with mail flowing correctly between the moved and the not-yet-moved.
3For smaller teams, a single cutover window may be appropriate; we agree the approach and timing after assessment.
4We reconfigure the agreed scanners, apps, and relays, then review validation results with you before any separately agreed server decommissioning.

Expected downtime

What we need from you

Your Exchange and Active Directory administrator to approve access and carry out setup through the agreed secure migration method; never send admin passwords or recovery codes through chat or request forms.
Mailbox sizes and counts, so we can size the batches and be honest about elapsed time.
A list of every device and application that sends mail through the server — printers, scanners, accounting software, the alarm system.
Access to DNS, and a maintenance window agreed in advance.