Hey everyone! We're in the early stages of planning a migration from Google Workspace to Microsoft 365, and I'd love to gather some insights from those who've been through it. Our organization has under 100 users, and I want to make sure we avoid common pitfalls. Here are some areas where I could really use your experiences:
1. **Google Chats**: Has anyone figured out how to migrate Google Chat history to Teams? If it's not straightforward, how have you archived it for access later?
2. **Drive and Shared Drive Migration**: What tools do you recommend for moving files from Google Drive to OneDrive/SharePoint? I'm looking at options like BitTitan and CloudM. How was your experience with Shared Drives and preserving permissions during the switch?
3. **Gmail**: What tools did you use for mail migration? Did you go for staged migrations, coexistence, or cutover? Were there challenges with distribution lists or calendars? Any tips for migrating recurring meetings, especially those involving external participants?
I really appreciate any shared insights, even if they come with horror stories and lessons learned. Thanks in advance!
1 Answer
If you’re migrating a larger organization, consider hiring an MSP if you haven’t done this before. They can have professional services to help make the process smoother and potentially save costs. From experience, BitTitan is a solid choice for migrations, though CloudM can get tricky with contacts if you change domains simultaneously. Expect some manual cleanup for permissions too.
For email, be cautious with mailbox sizes—Google has limits compared to Microsoft, so we found it easier to migrate only the last year of emails instead of everything. Also, be prepared for some user confusion, as Google uses tags and Microsoft uses folders for organizing mail.
Moving Shared Drives into SharePoint can be challenging; we faced mixed reactions from users since they found Google’s file sharing easier. I'd suggest getting your team accustomed to Teams for collaboration, as that can be a better experience compared to just using SharePoint sites.
And don't forget, Google does a fantastic job of filtering spam. After the migration, our spam rates skyrocketed until we implemented a third-party solution. As for chat history, we opted to start fresh instead of attempting to migrate it, which simplified things a bit.
Thanks for sharing all this! Just to clarify about the Shared Drives: Isn’t there a way to share folders in OneDrive using security groups? If we assign users to those groups, wouldn’t that replicate some functionality of Shared Drives? I just worry about the culture shock from GDrive to SharePoint!