How to Migrate from Exchange to Office 365 – Step by Step Guide

In June 2011, Microsoft Officially launched a cloud-based emailing platform. Since then, the popularity of Office 365 is in peak because every user wants to work on a cloud-based platform. However, Microsoft Office 365 provides better security and flexibility than Exchange server. Office 365 takes responsibility for keeping data updated, and the Exchange server lack to provide such a facility. An exchange server is a mail server and calendar server, and it runs only on Windows server O.S. therefore, to enjoy the benefits of Office 365 products and to keep mailboxes secure. Users are willing to migrate from Exchange to Office 365. In case, you are willing to perform the migration task. You will get the perfect solution on this page. You just have to read the following details carefully.

Reasons to migrate from Exchange to Office 365-:

  1. A lot of reasons are there for users to migrate from Exchange to Office 365. Some of the reasons why users execute the migration task are as follows-:
  2. The maintenance cost of Office 365 is zero. It is very cost-efficient compared to Exchange; hence, users execute Exchange to Office 365 migration tasks.
  3. Microsoft Office 365 offers more scalability in one subscription; you need to buy more email accounts for new users.
  4. Users do not need to worry about updates to the latest software version because Microsoft Office 365 automatically updates the software and takes care of infrastructure.
  5. Office 365 includes tools like Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. Users are familiar with the tools, so it becomes easy for them to work with Office 365.
  6. It assures the security of users’ data; hence, users do not need to worry about data loss scenarios, technical faults, etc.
  7. With Microsoft Office 365, users can work from anywhere at any time with any device. Hence, users mostly migrate from Exchange to Office 365.

How to migrate from Exchange to Microsoft Office 365-:

There are two methods to migrate from Exchange to Office 365; manual or professional are those two methods. Before deciding on the method to migrate the Public folder to Office 365, let us know about both methods. First, let us discuss the manual method.

There are three manual migrations to migrate from Exchange to Office 365:

  • Cutover Migration
  • Staged Migration
  • Hybrid Migration
  1. Cutover Migration

This method supports the migration of fewer mailboxes, meaning users cannot migrate up to 2000. It is applicable for the Exchange 2003, 2007, 2010, and 2013. This method provides limited admittance for migration; hence, it is only suitable for small organizations. A limit is set, and if the limit increases, your process will slow down. There can be chances of losing data. Users working with this method must verify the domain ownership of Exchange on-premise. Then you have to add the domain to Microsoft 365. The essential part is to maintain the connection between Exchange and Office 365. In the end, create the batch to migrate from Exchange to Office 365 migration. After completing the task, the Exchange on-premise users will be new Microsoft 365 users.

  1. Staged Migration

This method allows users to migrate more than 2000 mailboxes in batches. It is suitable for medium and large organizations. It is suitable when you have Exchange 2003 and Exchange 2007. The total time of migration depends on the volume of content. The first user has to verify the Exchange on-premise domain, and after verification, users will be able to create migration batches. Then create the users in Office 365 and create the list of the mailboxes in a CSV format. Now you can migrate from Exchange to Office 365.

  1. Hybrid Migration

It migrates mailboxes in the range of 150-2000 in small batches. It is compatible with Exchange 2010 and 2013. There is no need to create new user mailboxes and import information, and it maintains both online premises and online mailboxes. This method is categorized into three subtypes: Full Hybrid Migration, Express Hybrid Migration, and Minimal Hybrid Migration. Users can effortlessly migrate existing mailboxes b/w Exchange Server and Exchange Online.

Limitations of the Manual method-:

  • The manual method is complicated, and it is tiring as well.
  • You have to be an expert to migrate public folders to Office 365; otherwise, you can even lose your data, which is a great risk.
  • This method is not compatible with all versions of the Exchange server. You cannot migrate a large number of mailboxes in one go.
  • There are high chances of human error, and thus this can lead to losing data.
  • The manual method consumes a lot of time for users. Hence, it is a time-consuming process.

However, there are many other drawbacks too which a user can face, and each mistake in migrating Exchange from Office 365 can lead to a great risk of losing data, which is unacceptable for many organizations.

The professional way to perform the task-:

The best tool to migrate from Exchange to Office 365 is Shoviv Exchange to Office 365 Migration Tool because the software does not have any limitations, and there is no risk to migrate public folders to Office 365. It includes many advanced features, which are mentioned below-:

  1. It allows users to migrate multiple and single mailboxes to Office 365 without any restriction on size.
  2. The Shoviv Exchange to Office 365 Migration Tool ensures that there is no alteration in the data and hierarchy of folders.
  3. The GUI of the Shoviv software is so user-friendly that even non-technical users can migrate from Exchange to Office 365.
  4. It repairs all private and public EDB files. Therefore, users migrate public folder to Office 365.
  5. Along with migration from Exchange to Office 365, the software allows migration from Exchange to Outlook PST and Live Exchange. You can split large PST files and set the size for the resultant PST files if you want.
  6. Users can change the canonical emails with the SMTP address with the Email translation feature.
  7. Users can migrate data from one particular folder to another particular folder with the Folder mapping option provided by Shoviv exchange to Office 365 Migration Tool.
  8. You can resume the task from the last interrupted point and prevent data from duplicity with the Incremental export feature.
  9. To filter out your data, you can use the filter option, which will help you exclude the undesired items and the desired ones.
  10. The Shoviv Exchange to Office 365 Migration Tool provides options like search; you can find out and search any particular folder without any difficulty.
  11. The software is compatible with all Windows O.S. and Exchange Server versions.
  12. You can use the preview facility to preview data and get assured about the added mailbox data.

You can go to the software’s website and download the free demo version to learn more about the software’s working.

Conclusion-:

Nowadays, users migrate from Exchange to Office 365 due to its better security system and services. However, the best way to migrate public folders to Office 365 is to use the Shoviv exchange to Office 365 Migration Tool, as the software offers many advanced features and keeps your data safe and secure. Hence, the manual method is not much preferred or used because it has many risks and limitations. Moreover, the software provides a free demo version, allowing users to migrate fifty items per folder without any cost. Shoviv exchange to Office 365 Migration Tool provides 24*7 technical support for the users.

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