the seven principles of moving to office 365

Collaborate.Mobilize.Accelerate.Work this way™

The seven principles of moving to Office 365For companies with people in them™

Migrating to Office 365 is a smart move. For growing organizations, it offers a step-change in productivity and collaboration – all the security, flexibility and ease of use of cloud computing, with none of the on-premise management headaches.

Get the migration right, and you’re a hero. But once the back-slapping’s over, will there be snags to take the shine off your achievement?

We’ve helped numerous businesses, of all shapes and sizes, move to Office 365 in the cloud. And we’ve learned a lot along the way.

Sprint Business The seven principles of moving to Office 365

Before you begin


Here are our seven key principles (and some handy tips)

We can’t stress how important it is to put your digital house in order before you begin your migration. Remember, the less you have to move, the shorter the migration time – and the smaller the opportunity for error.

Do the basics:

• Check your Active Directory – ensure your AD objects are as they should be

• Disable, delete, or archive users, mailboxes, Public Folders, and SharePoint libraries and sites

• List what content has to move, and what can safely be left behind

If we lost you at Bullet 1, our second principle will shed some light.

1. Preparation, preparation, preparation


2. The more you ask before you move, the less you’ll have to ask later

Migration isn’t as straightforward as some would have you believe. Even if you’re an IT pro, managing a successful migration isn’t easy. And if you have the responsibility for IT, but no real experience, taking your business to the cloud can be fraught with danger.

So make sure you ask the right questions before you start. Such as:

• What exactly do we need to prepare – and prepare for?

• Should we be aware of any compliance or regulatory issues?

• How secure will our data be?

• Where will it be stored?

• How do we buy Office 365 – and how does it work with our existing Office licenses?

• What skills will be needed for the migration – and afterwards?

• Can we manage the migration on our own, or will we need help?

You’ll probably know the answer to the last one, but Bullets 3 and 4 are worth a closer look. That’s our third principle.


3. Email in the cloud is different

Once you’re safely in the cloud, you’ll wonder what all the fuss was about. But until then, there are some things about Office 365 you need to understand.

For a start, all your e-mail is stored securely in the cloud.

On the face of it, for your users this won’t make much of a difference. They’ll see their familiar Outlook client, and have the benefit of being able to access email pretty much anywhere.

But recovering accidentally changed or deleted items isn’t the same process they’re used to, which could ramp up help desk calls.

• Your users can access the Recover Deleted Items feature in Outlook

The good news? Microsoft training videos and other resources are available to help users and administrators.

Review the material yourself first, and pick out the essentials. Nobody wants to be swamped with new learnings when they’re already busy.

And don’t assume you’ll automatically receive the support you need. If all this is new to you, or you’re stretched managing other issues, get proper help – 24/7 phone support from experts who know Office 365 inside-out.


4. Document everything

As the saying has it, you can’t manage what you can’t see. And you can’t hope for a working email system post-migration if you don’t know where you are now.

So draw up two email flow diagrams. The first should show how email currently comes into your network, is processed by the Exchange server, and then how users connect to the mailbox server to retrieve their e-mails. The second should show how e-mail functions after the migration.

What other documentation should you create?

• Lists of e-mail and related servers and network components

• A list of applications or devices using MAPI or SMTP to relay email through Exchange

• LAN and WAN network diagrams

• Email DNS MX and A records – internal and external

Don’t forget to gather settings and requirements for encryption, footers, archiving, and so on. And make sure you know the status of your public secure web (SSL) certificates.


5. Get the right tools for the job

Even if you’re planning to bring in help for your move to Office 365, there’s plenty you can do to smooth progress in the meantime.

Here are a couple of tools that can help you prepare for your migration:

• Deployment Readiness Tool: Performs pre-migration checks on your Active Directory and environment

• Office 365 Speed Test: How good is your connection to Office 365? Should you upgrade your internet before your migration? This tool will tell you.

Of course, if you choose to work with a migration partner, a lot of this will be off your ‘to-do’ list. But whatever your plans, it makes sense to find out what you can expect from Office 365. That’s our principle six.


6. What you’ll need, and what you’ll get

It goes without saying that you’ll need to be on up-to-date Windows operating system, Microsoft Office and browser versions. You can find the full list online.

The important thing is, don’t just assume everything will work seamlessly. Schedule in some time for upgrades, just in case.

Many plans include:

• Office applications: Get familiar and full Office applications, including Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Outlook and OneNote, locally installed and available offline.

• Business-class email: Get business-class email, shared calendars, 50Gb of storage space per user, and the ability to use your own domain name.

• Web conferencing, presence, and IM: Conduct meetings over the web with HD video conferencing, screen sharing, and instant messaging. Share presence, IM, and audio calling with other Lync and Skype users.

• File storage and sharing: 25Gb of personal storage for each user with OneDrive for Business. Easily share files internally and externally and control permissions.

• And much more, dependent on the specific plan.

• Plus many add-ons are available to address the unique needs of your business.


7. Choose your migration partner carefully

You, on a Sunday evening, alone in an empty office building, with a persistent error message and no email system.

Nightmare? Yes. Avoidable? Easily.

Sprint has a proven record of success in helping businesses just like yours to migrate to Office 365.

Talk to us about how we can make your life easier before, during and after your migration to Office 365.

And see how our competitive pricing and comprehensive support can help you get the most from your move to the cloud.


Introducing the Carefree Cloud

Our straightforward ‘Migration 1 2 3’ tool will walk you through your move to the cloud.

However, if you prefer, you can also take advantage of the Carefree Cloud – our complete ‘white-glove’ service. We’ll take care of your migration end-to-end, including complete configuration and setup at every user endpoint.

This unique on-boarding assistance service comes with easy access to Web portals and online support, so you’re never alone.

Even better, Carefree Cloud is free for 90 days after an initial purchase of an Office 365 package, and can be extended for an additional charge.




Microsoft Office 365 offered by Sprint: Not avail. in all markets/retail locations. Some features req. Internet service & not avail. in all countries. Data use on Sprint network without data plan: 3¢/KB. Prohibited use limitations apply. Office 365 access requires Office 2007 or higher. Not all features avail. on all devices, operating systems, and/or browsers. Visit http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/products/office-system-requirements-FX102921529.aspx for details.

http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/products/office-system-requirements-FX102921529.aspx


Collaborate.Mobilize.Accelerate.Work this way™

About Sprint

Sprint has a proven record of success in helping businesses just like yours to migrate to Office 365.



For companies with people in them™

Learn more about Microsoft Office 365 from Sprint

http://sprint.com/business/solutions/unified_communication_and_collaboration/microsoft_office_365/index.html

http://sprint.com/business/solutions/unified_communication_and_collaboration/microsoft_office_365/index.html

the seven principles of moving to office 365

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