Why email moves go wrong, and how we avoid it
Microsoft 365 migration is the move of your email, calendars, contacts and files from your current system, such as Google Workspace, GoDaddy, cPanel, Zimbra, Exchange on-premises or another Microsoft 365 tenant, into Microsoft 365. For a Microsoft 365 migration in Kenya, we plan the move with you, copy your data in the background and switch mail over at an agreed quiet time, so staff keep working throughout.
Many Kenyan organisations still run email on a cPanel host, a GoDaddy plan, an ageing Zimbra server in the office or a Google Workspace account someone set up years ago. Moving to Microsoft 365 is the right call, but a rushed switch can mean bounced mail, missing folders and a Monday morning of calls from staff who cannot find their inbox.
Most problems start before the migration itself. Nobody knows who holds the login for the .co.ke domain at the local registrar. Mailboxes are larger than expected. The office internet line is shared by everyone. A good Microsoft 365 migration deals with all of this first, then moves the data quietly in the background.
- Email, calendars and contacts arrive in Outlook as staff left them.
- Staff keep working on the old system until the agreed switch-over.
- Mail that arrives during the switch is picked up and moved too.
What we migrate
Whatever you use today, we plan the move into the right place in Microsoft 365: Exchange for mail, OneDrive for personal files, SharePoint and Teams for shared work.
Mailboxes
Email migration to Microsoft 365 from Google Workspace, Zimbra, cPanel, GoDaddy and other IMAP hosting, or Exchange on-premises. Mail, folders, calendars and contacts move together.
Files and documents
Google Drive, Dropbox and office file shares into OneDrive and SharePoint, keeping folder structure and, where the source allows, sharing permissions.
Microsoft Teams
Teams, channels, conversations, files and memberships moved between tenants, so project history is not left behind.
Public folders
Shared mail folders, calendars and contact lists from older Exchange servers, moved to public folders or shared mailboxes in Microsoft 365.
Tenant to tenant
Tenant to tenant migration for mergers, acquisitions, divestments and rebrands. We plan the domain move carefully, because a domain can only sit in one tenant at a time.
PST files
Old Outlook archives sitting on laptops and USB drives, brought into each user’s mailbox or archive so they are searchable and backed up.
How a migration works
- Assess. We list every mailbox, shared mailbox, alias and file location, check sizes, and confirm who controls your domain and DNS.
- Plan the cut-over. We agree the switch-over date and time with you, the order users move in, and what staff will be told and when.
- Pre-stage. We set up your Microsoft 365 tenant and copy existing mail and files in the background while staff carry on as normal.
- Switch DNS and MX. At the agreed time we point your domain’s mail records to Microsoft 365, then run a final pass to catch anything that arrived during the change.
- Support after go-live. We help staff set up Outlook on laptops and phones, fix stragglers, and stay on hand while everyone settles in.
Planned around how Kenyan offices work
- Weekend cut-overs. We usually switch mail on a Friday evening or Saturday, so Monday starts on Microsoft 365.
- Bandwidth planning. Cloud-to-cloud moves run between datacentres, not over your office line. Where files sit on a local server, we schedule uploads out of hours so the office connection stays usable.
- Your domain registrar. Many .co.ke domains are held with a local KENIC-accredited registrar or a former web developer. We help you recover access to DNS early, so the switch is never held up on the day.
- The Data Protection Act 2019. Moving email and files moves personal data. We record with you where each type of data ends up in Microsoft 365, so you can update your data protection records, and we keep the old system until you have confirmed nothing is missing.
- Licences billed locally. The Microsoft 365 licences you move into are priced in Kenya shillings, invoiced in KES or USD, and quoted excluding 16% VAT. See the Microsoft 365 price list.
Technology we use
We run most migrations with BitTitan MigrationWiz, a cloud migration service built for mailbox, document and Teams moves. It copies data directly from the source system to Microsoft 365, lets us move users in batches, and repeats passes so only new items are copied at cut-over. For simple cases we also use Microsoft’s native migration tools where they fit better.
A migration is also the right moment to fix licensing and security. We check that each person has the right plan, often Microsoft 365 Business Premium for staff handling sensitive data, and switch on multifactor sign-in and phishing protection before mail starts flowing. Licence prices are on our pricing page, and you can compare plans for small and medium businesses. Once everyone works in Teams, you can run goals, feedback and recognition there too with Employee Engagement 360.
Step-by-step guides: moving email from GoDaddy, cPanel or Zimbra to Microsoft 365 and a Google Workspace to Microsoft 365 migration plan.
Questions
Microsoft 365 migration questions
What Kenyan teams ask before moving email and files to Microsoft 365.
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How much does Microsoft 365 migration cost in Kenya?
We quote each migration after assessing your mailboxes, data volumes and current email system, and Microsoft 365 licences are billed separately.
The assessment shows how many mailboxes, shared mailboxes and files need to move, which sets the effort. Licences are 5% below the standard price, and every plan is on our Microsoft 365 pricing page.
How long does it take to move our email to Microsoft 365?
It depends on the number of mailboxes, how much data they hold and the system you are leaving, so we give you a timeline after the assessment.
Existing mail and files are copied in the background first, so the only step staff notice is the cut-over, which we usually plan for a Friday evening or Saturday. See how a migration works.
Will our email go down while we migrate?
Usually there is little or no interruption, because staff keep using their current email until the agreed switch-over, which we schedule out of hours.
Mail keeps arriving at the old system until we change your MX record, and once that change spreads across the internet, new mail lands in Microsoft 365. Talk to us about the best switch-over time for your office.
What do you need from us before a Microsoft 365 migration?
We need a list of your users and shared mailboxes, admin access to your current email system and access to your domain’s DNS.
Many .co.ke domains are held with a local registrar or a former web developer, so we help you recover DNS access early and the switch is not held up on the day. Start by sending us your user count and current email system.
What is the best migration tool for Microsoft 365?
There is no single best tool: the right one depends on the system you are leaving and what has to move with the email.
Microsoft’s own tools suit simple moves, such as email-only IMAP migrations. For projects that move mail, calendars, files and Teams together in batches, we use BitTitan MigrationWiz, which copies data directly between clouds and repeats passes before cut-over. See how a migration works.
Do you help staff after we switch to Microsoft 365?
Yes, after go-live we help staff set up Outlook on their laptops and phones and fix any mailboxes that need attention.
Short training on Teams, OneDrive and SharePoint helps staff get more from the move. See training and advisory.
Will we lose any email when we move to Microsoft 365?
No, a final pass after the switch collects anything delivered to the old system during the change, and we check item counts per mailbox before we close the project.
A migration is also the right moment to switch on multifactor sign-in and phishing protection before mail starts flowing. See Microsoft 365 security.
Can you migrate us from Google Workspace, Zimbra or cPanel email?
Yes, we migrate from Google Workspace, Zimbra, cPanel, GoDaddy and other IMAP hosting, Exchange on-premises and other Microsoft 365 tenants.
Files from Google Drive, Dropbox and office file shares can move into OneDrive and SharePoint in the same project, and our five-step process is the same for each source.
What is a 365 to 365 migration?
A 365 to 365 migration, also called a tenant-to-tenant migration, moves mailboxes, OneDrive, SharePoint and Teams from one Microsoft 365 tenant to another.
It usually follows a merger, acquisition, split or rebrand, or a decision to leave a tenant run by a previous provider. Because a domain can only sit in one tenant at a time, we plan the domain move for the cut-over. Tell us about your two tenants.
Which Microsoft 365 plan should we move our email to?
Any plan that includes Exchange email works, such as Business Basic, Business Standard, Business Premium, E3 or E5.
Microsoft 365 Apps for business has no business email, so it cannot hold mailboxes. Staff who handle client or financial data are often best on Business Premium. Compare business plans.
Get a quote in KES today
Tell us how many users you have and what you use now. We reply with a recommendation and a price.
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