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Microsoft 365 Migration

You moved off Google Workspace. Now what?

The cutover is the easy part. Here is exactly what we do to make sure your move to Microsoft 365 is clean, secure, and built to grow.

A lot of teams treat a Google to Microsoft 365 migration as finished the moment email flows. It is not. The first weeks decide whether your tenant runs clean for years or quietly breaks in ways nobody connects back to the move. Here is the roadmap we follow with every client, from cutover day to fully automated.

Phase 1 · Week 1

Validate the cutover

Confirm the migration landed clean before your users hit it.

  • MX points to Exchange Online. Domain set to authoritative, not relay.
  • Send and receive both directions with an external address.
  • SPF includes spf.protection.outlook.com.
  • DKIM enabled and signing for each domain.
  • DMARC set to at least p=none for monitoring.
  • Autodiscover CNAME points to autodiscover.outlook.com.
  • Old DNS records removed. Mail, SPF, and Autodiscover leftovers cause silent failures.
  • Mail, calendar, and contacts spot checked across a sample of users.
  • Shared mailboxes, distribution lists, and aliases confirmed.
  • Any app using Google SSO reconfigured to Entra ID and tested.
  • Every user licensed correctly. Nobody left unlicensed.
Phase 2 · Weeks 2 to 4

Secure and stabilize

This is where most migrations stop, and where the real risk lives. We harden the tenant properly.

  • MFA enforced for all users through Conditional Access.
  • Break glass admin accounts excluded and documented.
  • Legacy authentication blocked.
  • Audit logging and mailbox auditing switched on.
  • Anti phishing, Safe Links, and Safe Attachments enabled where licensed.
  • External email warning banner enabled, so a clear caution appears at the top of every message arriving from outside the organization.
  • Known Folder Move pushing Desktop, Documents, and Pictures to OneDrive.
  • Retention policies configured.
  • Third party backup in place. Microsoft does not back up your data for you.
  • Users given a short guide. New login, Outlook, and where files now live.
Why it matters: the external email warning is one of the simplest, highest impact controls we apply. It gives every user a built in moment of caution before they trust a message from outside, which is exactly where phishing and impersonation attacks land. Here is what your team sees:
What an external email looks like
Inbox
! External email. This message came from outside your organization. Do not click links or open attachments unless you recognise the sender and know the content is safe.
Updated invoice for your review
From: billing@unknown-supplier.com (External)

Hi,

Please find the updated invoice attached. Kindly confirm payment by end of day.

Thanks.

One expectation to set early: SharePoint and OneDrive are not a drop in replacement for Google Drive. Sync, sharing, and folder behavior all work differently. We plan your file structure on purpose rather than dumping everything across and hoping it holds.
Phase 3 · Month 2 onward

Structure and automate

Once the foundation is solid, Microsoft 365 becomes a platform you build on, not just an inbox.

  • Team sites designed per department, not one giant drive dump.
  • Document libraries with metadata instead of deep folder trees.
  • Spreadsheets replaced with SharePoint solutions in Microsoft 365. Asset registers, request trackers, approvals, and contact directories live as structured lists with views and filtering.
  • Workflows automated with Power Apps and Power Automate. Approvals, notifications, reminders, and document generation built on top of your list data.
  • Teams and channels aligned to your SharePoint sites so files and conversations stay connected.
  • Devices brought under control with Microsoft Intune when the team is remote or handling sensitive data. Enforced encryption, compliance policies, and the ability to wipe a lost or stolen device remotely.
  • Calling brought into Microsoft 365 with a Teams Phone system so voice lives in the same place as everything else.
  • List data surfaced back to managers with dashboards and Power BI.
  • Monthly activity reports and proactive support keeping the tenant healthy.
Worth flagging: if your team works remotely or handles sensitive client data, device control is no longer optional. Microsoft Intune lets us enforce encryption, push security policies, and wipe a lost or stolen laptop or phone remotely, so data leaving the building does not mean data leaving your control. We can layer this in as part of the same roadmap.

Migrated already, or planning the move?

We take Google Workspace migrations from messy cutover to a secure, automated Microsoft 365 environment your team actually enjoys using. Let us walk your tenant through this roadmap.

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MStack360
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We offer ongoing Microsoft 365 managed support on a retainer built for small and mid sized businesses.
help@mstack360.com