In the highly digitalized world we live in today, further moved ahead by what has been happening over the last several years, many jobs and businesses have moved to the online sphere at least partially, if not fully.
It is a safe guess that most of us are used to online meetings, calendars, and various digital events. With the workflow moving online, everything, including email communications and management, have seen major transformations.
So, you are familiar with emails and most of their generally used functions. But have you heard of something called email migration and could it be something useful for you?
Understanding email migration
Let’s go back to the drawing board and start from the basics. What is email migration? For example, you have heard of different types of migration, such as people migrating to different areas to work and live, but what does it mean that emails can migrate as well?
Email migration is not a one-step task, but a process in which you, or your organization, move your emails from one system that is already in use to another, different email system.
Email migration explained
There are many reasons why you too might be considering email migration. Some of the leading reasons usually involve security upgrades, better tools, easier optimization, and better tech support and tools. Not to mention preferences that also play a huge role in this choice.
What email migration essentially comes down to is moving your emails, contacts, and associated data to different email service. To paint the picture, imagine your organization jumping from Gmail to Office 365. That’s email migration in a nutshell.
Is email migration easy?
To be frank, this process will greatly vary on the size of your organization as well as the overall number of accounts that your business has. The fewer the size and the fewer the accounts, the easier and simpler the process is.
However, you should not look away and get discouraged if you are too considering this idea and work in or run a large organization with a tone of accounts and clients alike.
There are many benefits that you can obtain in choosing the email provider that fits your needs and wants best.
The email migration process
In the preparation phase, you will want to lay out the groundwork clearly to make sure you avoid any missteps. This phase will, for example, have you looking at DNS records to make sure they are updated and your future emails find you well on the new server.
You will also have to decide what to archive and what to migrate in terms of your emails, calendars, tasks, attachments, documents, and contacts.
Consider spam and malware filters, devices that are connected to your current service that will want to have a device that is compatible with your new email. In buying licenses, you will need to know the number of user accounts that you will want to purchase.
In the following phase where you are creating the plan and have gathered all the information, you will map out upcoming steps. Consider creating an email spreadsheet with info on all of the accounts you have in the organization.
Even if you will be spending money on the new service, take this as an opportunity to cut down on unnecessary accounts. Decide who will be in charge of the migration and when the move will happen. Inform your clients, partners, end-users, and stakeholders.
When it comes to the big move, try and do it outside of working hours to minimize the impact and double-check that everyone is on board and briefed. You will have made a plan of your own by then, but it usually comes down to verifying your domain, creating new accounts, a new migration file, endpoints, as well as a batch test, and, lastly, the cutover.
Benefits of email migration
Benefits of email migration come in many forms, including better efficiency, higher speed, compatibility with an organization’s needs, better tools and support, affordability, and, perhaps most importantly, increased security. With planning, the process can be smooth.
