The process of email migration involves transferring all your business email resources and processes from one platform to another. In this article we are going to cover what you need to know about Google Workspace email migration to ensure a smooth transition.
System migration can be a highly complex and time-consuming task. Comprehensive planning and preparation are very important for a successful Google Workspace email migration. To ensure that the process is done correctly and to avoid any potential data loss, you should always consider consulting a Google partner prior to the process.
To migrate your email system to Google Workspace, there are a few general steps you can follow:
- Choose a migration method
There are several ways to migrate your email to Google Workspace, including free Google migration tools, 3rd party apps, and even manually exporting and importing data. Here are some of your options:
- Data migration tool from Google – recommended for small organisations with less than 100 users. It can be accessed through the Admin console.
- Google Workspace Migration for Microsoft Exchange – can be used to migrate email, calendar, and other data from an Exchange server to your organization’s Google Workspace account. It can also migrate emails from Novell GroupWise, Google Workspace, and Gmail.
- Google Workspace Migration for Microsoft Outlook – use this tool to import mail, calendar events, and personal contacts from an Outlook account or PST file.
- Google Workspace Migrate – recommended for large organisations looking to migrate their email, calendar, and contact data from other platforms. The tool is designed to handle large-scale migrations and offers features such as scheduling, automatic notifications, and error reporting to help ensure a smooth and successful migration.
- 3rd party tools – paid apps offer more advanced features than the free tools offered by Google. However, make sure to research the safety of any 3rd party migration tool before allowing it to handle your data
In many cases, the migration process requires multiple tools and services to successfully transfer all your emails. Not sure which tool is best for your organisation? Get in touch with the Refractiv team to find your best options for Google Workspace email migration.
- Prepare your Google Workspace account
If you decided to start the Google Workspace migration process independently, it’s important to get your account in order before starting to move your emails. Now it’s the right time to create user accounts for each of your users, set up email routing, and configure other settings as needed.
- Verify domain ownership
Add your domain to Google Workspace and complete the verification process in the Admin console. To check if your domain has been confirmed, open the Admin console, go to Google Workspace apps > Apps > Google Workspace services, and select the Google Workspace tile. The following warning message appears if your domain has not been verified: To turn your services on and off, you must verify your domain.
- Set up your migration tool
If you are using a migration tool from Google or a 3rd party provider, follow its specific instructions to set it up and configure it for your migration. If you get stuck, don’t hesitate to get in touch with the Refractiv team who can offer advice and take charge of your Google Workspace email migration process.
- Start the migration
Once you have set up your migration tool or chosen your migration method, start the migration process. The exact steps will depend on the method you have chosen.
- Monitor the migration
Keep an eye on the migration process to ensure that everything is running smoothly. Check for any error messages or issues that may need to be resolved. Most email migration tools for Google Workspace would send you an email or notification if the process fails.
- Verify the migration
Once the migration is complete, verify that all of your email data has been successfully transferred to Google Workspace. Test if your users can send and receive emails from their new accounts, and make sure that any other settings or configurations have been transferred correctly.
What are the benefits of using a Google Partner for email migration?
Migrating your emails or other data to Google Workspace requires caution and comprehensive planning. Mishandling sensitive data or committing an error during the migration could result in data loss, serious monetary costs and loss of trust from clients. Therefore, it is crucial to conduct thorough research and seek the assistance of professionals and experts in the field of migrations.
Google partners such as Refractiv, aim to make the migration process simple and stress-free for you. Typically, one-size-fits-all data migration tools and apps are intricate and require a lot of your time. The team at Refractiv will consider your business type and size to develop a customised migration strategy that is suitable for your organisation.
Refractiv has been migrating business systems to Google Workspace across the United Kingdom for many years. Our team of Google Workspace experts has handled hundreds of email migrations and has enough experience to anticipate and deal with every possible issue that may arise during the process.
By choosing Refractiv as your Google Workspace migration partner, you can also get access to other services, including onboarding for your team, training on Google Workspace apps, dedicated support, regular security audits, and more.