Merger activities, acquisitions, and divestments result in the consolidation or creation of new entities with similar systems that cannot be joined. This includes their software solutions such as Office 365. While migration from one platform to another is common, an Office 365 tenant to tenant migration is different in many ways. Let us look at the process involved before undertaking such a migration.
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Why Perform Office 365 Tenant to Tenant Migration?
Office365 has matured significantly, and several businesses have adopted the solution. As companies merge as is common with business cycles, or are acquired, or become standalone business units, they require their own tools, applications, and solutions.
They have their own data, users, and domains which are independent of their original identities. While the two tenants may be on the same platform, migration is not as simple as a press of a button. It involves complex planning that includes moving mailboxes, changing domains, and importing content such as files from one place to another. Moreover, the more services and applications such as OneDrive, SharePoint, and Teams there are, the more complex is the migration process. Here are some of the challenges of migrating one Office 365 tenant to another.
Single Domain Acceptance
One domain can be mapped with only one Office 365 tenant. So, before the domain can be migrated, its objects such as files, users, groups, and so on will have to be removed and renamed before the domain can be disconnected. Once the domain is disconnected, it can be added to the other tenant. Only after that, objects and users can be added. During this phase of transition, emails will not be delivered to the old mailboxes.
For moving these objects as quickly as possible, certain tools may have to be used. With these tools, users can continue to work on the source tenant while the migration process is underway. Once the process is complete, users will receive their emails in their mailboxes in the new tenant.
Content Availability in New Tenant
It is important to maintain the integrity of OneDrive and SharePoint content as well. This too can be done using various tools. One of the pain-points of most such migrations is the management of Teams conversations, files, and settings. While there are upcoming tools for this as well, they have different capabilities.
Often, it is required to maintain the content structure after migration. This is necessary as the metadata might be required for compliance and a better search experience. Many tools can help with this feature. End users can test the settings and data in their accounts once the migration is complete. Another important requirement of Office 365 tenant to tenant migration is that all the content and services have to be made available at the same time.
In the case of such a migration, data is not necessarily moved out, but simply being copied from one tenant to another. It can then be deleted from the source in 30 days after the process.
Tenant to Tenant Migration Assistance
As a Tier 1 Microsoft CSP, Apps4Rent can assist with Office 365 tenant to tenant migration with 24/7 phone, chat, and email support. Talk to our O365 experts today.