How to Prepare for Office 365 Migration

Whenever you’re dealing with the implementation of a new system inside your company’s workflow, you need to know that everybody won’t respond in the same way. The level of enthusiasm shown during the process will vary from one department to another, and also from one employee to another. Knowing how to prepare for Office 365 migration will benefit you immensely.

The best way to prepare for the Office 365 migration process is to start by analyzing in advance the necessary steps to be taken to assure a smooth and efficient transition. If you have made your plan in advance, the change will go faster both from a technical standpoint, as well as from the employee performance side. If you don't know where to get started, we can help with your Office 365 migration.

Want to explore the Microsoft tools to determine if it’s the right for you? Request a Customer Immersion Experience where our certified experts come on-site (free of charge) for a hands-on, exploratory demo with Microsoft’s suite of productivity tools.

How to prepare for Office 365 migration

1. Choose the best-suited migration method for your business

Many businesses don’t consult with specialists in this field when it comes to migrating to Office 365, and they don’t realize that this process can differ from company to company. As you would expect, a smaller company will undergo a faster migration, as opposed to a bigger company which will undertake a more extended transition period.

It is where you need to choose the right migration plan for your business because it could be easier than you would expect. Microsoft supports three migration types: cutover, IMAP migration and a hybrid migration (a mix between the two kinds of movement mentioned above.)

2. Give a fair estimation of how long the migration period will last

Business owners, or directors, can often estimate the duration of a process and be far off, due to their (understandable) constant desire to cut costs and to make everything more efficient. Although this method is not necessarily a bad one, when it comes to a technical process, like the migration to Office 365, a fair estimation could go a long way, and it could also be more cost-efficient than initially expected.

A normal migration to Office 365 usually experiences a throughput of 10 Gigabytes – 14 Gigabytes per hour, so you should calculate in advance the volume your company possesses and calculate a decent time estimate.

3. Leave it to specialists to secure the job

After the initial assessments are complete, be sure to leave your specialized IT department to do the job, or hire external professional consultants in this field if you want to ensure that none of your valuable data is lost during the process.

Sometimes it pays to hire external help, due to their experience of handling several migrations to Office 365 processes for companies operating with various amounts of data. It means an outside IT department could offer more support and solve any unexpected problems that may appear at a faster and more efficient pace.

Need to rely on an expert? We're a Gold Certified Microsoft Partner and have performed thousands of Office 365 migrations. Learn more about our services and how we can help you get started today.

4 Reasons Why Your Business Needs to Migrate to Windows 10

As many of us know, Microsoft will stop its service and security support for Windows 7 on January 14, 2020. Those remaining with this system after that time will do so without any improved updates or security. There is, however, the option for those using Windows 7 Pro and Windows 7 Enterprise to extend their security updates for the next three years, but it will come at a cost. The price will be based on the number of devices and will increase with every passing year.

But aside from the fact that older versions of Windows will no longer have this support, there are other reasons why businesses should migrate their operations on Windows 10. Below is a rundown of some of the most important reasons that will benefit organizations, big and small.

Improved Security

With Windows 10, users will experience a significant boost in system security. On the one hand, this newest version of Windows is great at detecting and preventing ransomware, which locks up the user's data on the computer. Windows 10 also comes equipped with Windows Defender Exploit Guard, which excels at detecting and removing malware.

Similarly, there's the option to subscribe to Windows Defender Advanced Threat Protection, which is a cloud-based service for managing all security threats across your organization. On Windows 10 Enterprise and Professional, you'll also have access to Windows Defender Application Guard, which lets you use the Edge browser in a virtual machine. And if you unknowingly contract malware, it won't infect your network or computer since it will confine in that virtual machine.

Better Updates

By making use of the Unified Update Platform (UUP), Windows 10's Update tool will significantly streamline the update process. To put it simply, the UUP will scan your computer and detect what updates your system needs. It will only download and install those specific updates, meaning that your computer will not have to download the entire package. It can reduce the need for extra storage space and installation time by up to 35%.

Universal Applications

Those who already use Windows 10 know that it comes with an app store. It lets you find the software you need and allows them to run in their sandboxes. It means that they are more secure than their previous counterparts and are integrated with the system, offering you notifications via the Action Center.

Windows 10 also comes equipped with better and more powerful apps of its own such as Calendar, Mail, People, Maps, Photos, Videos, etc. These work equally as well in full-screen, by using touch, or with the traditional mouse and keyboard. Also, you will not have to install different apps for the various devices you are using.

Windows Autopilot

Windows Autopilot allows businesses to set up their system configurations in the cloud, which can then download onto any Windows 10 computer. Every time you add a new device to the company's network, it will automatically configure to the business design setting. These settings can be for the entire organization or tailor-made for every individual department, position, employee, etc. Ultimately, the managing, configuration, and resetting of your company's devices will be completed in only a fraction of the time, and a more secure environment.

Takeaway

While this list of benefits presented here is not exhaustive, it nevertheless, showcases some of the reasons why businesses should migrate to Windows 10 soon. If you are looking to make the transition but don't know where to start, Managed Solution will help you out. Contact our accredited professionals for more information and let's get started today!