How to Migrate Emails from Combell to Office 365?

No matter the type of business you have, effective email management is the foundation of any successful business. Emails not only connect you with your customers but also hold crucial data. So, it is pretty important to carefully evaluate the factors involved in selecting the right platform for your needs.

Combell and Office 365 are two well-known players for the same. While Combell excels in web hosting and domain name services, Office 365 offers advanced features and benefits for email and collaboration management.

Considering the same, in this blog post, we have brought to you a step-by-step guide to migrating from Combell to Office 365. Keep reading to know the insights in detail.

What Is Combell?

Combell is a company in Belgium known for services like web hosting and domain name registration. It is an ISO-certified company for its commitment to quality, security, and availability. It specializes in developing customized hosting solutions tailored to the needs of businesses.

For web hosting, it provides various hosting solutions like shared hosting, VPS (Virtual Private Server), and dedicated hosting. On the other hand, it provides many extensions for domain name registration. It also includes additional services like SSL certificates, email hosting, and domain transfer services.

On top of that, Combell provides both public and private cloud solutions, including hybrid ones. Besides these hosting services, Combell offers a range of complementary services such as cloud solutions, IT outsourcing, and specialized industry-specific hosting for sectors like healthcare, retail, and the public sector.

Why You Should Migrate from Combell to Office 365?

Office 365 is a popular choice for email management among businesses, organizations, and individuals. This is because it offers advanced productivity and security features in comparison to other service providers.

So, if you are also migrating from Combell to Office 365, you will enjoy the following benefits:

• Integration: Office 365 provides a deeper integration with other Microsoft productivity tools. This is not available in Combell as its main focus is on web hosting and domain services. This makes Office 365 an ideal choice for businesses already using these tools like Word, Excel, Teams, etc.
• Security: Both platforms provide strong security features. However, Office 365 includes advanced threat protection and compliance tools which are tailored specifically for larger enterprises.
• Accessibility: Office 365 provides a more seamless experience across devices and platforms, especially with the Outlook Web App and mobile apps. This advanced mobile app feature is not supported by Combell.
• Support: Both Combell and Office 365 work on providing 24/7 customer support. However, Office 365 includes more strong administrative tools and regular feature updates that cater to a broad range of business needs.
• Customization and Control: Office 365 provides extensive administrative controls and management options. This is especially beneficial for larger organizations with complex needs.

Preparation for Combell to Office 365 Migration

You now have a clear idea that Office 365 is a great choice for businesses. So, before proceeding with the actual migration process, make sure you meet the following prerequisites:

• Ensure that you have an active Office 365 subscription with enough licenses for all users who will be migrated.
• You need administrative access to both the Combell email accounts and Office 365.
• Make sure that you have access to the DNS settings for your domain required to configure the necessary DNS records for Office 365.
• It is recommended to back up your emails and other important data before starting the migration process to avoid any data loss.
• Ensure that all your users are aware of the migration process. Inform them that they may need to reconfigure their email clients (e.g., Outlook) post-migration.
• Make sure that you have a stable and reliable Internet connection to handle the data transfer during the migration.

Step-By-Step Process of Combell to Office 365 Migration

To start with the migration process, check out the following steps:

• Create user accounts and mailboxes in Office 365 for each user that will be migrated.
• Verify your domain in Office 365 to ensure that your email domain is properly configured. For this, you need to add and verify the domain in the Office 365 Admin Center.
• Prepare a CSV file with the email addresses, usernames, and passwords of the users to migrate. You will need to know the passwords or reset them.
• Update your DNS records to direct to Office 365. This includes updating the MX record to direct mail flow to Office 365.
• For IMAP Migration, you will need the IMAP server details from Combell.
• In the Exchange admin center, go to Migration and create a new IMAP migration batch.
• Select the migration endpoint, import the CSV file with user mailboxes, and configure any migration filtering options.
• Schedule the migration batch with desired reporting options and start/end times.
• After migration, reconfigure users’ email clients to connect to Office 365.
• Provide instructions for setting up email clients with new Office 365 settings.
• Verify successful migration of all emails.
• Test sending and receiving emails to ensure functionality.

Common Challenges During Combell to Office 365 Migration

There are some common challenges that users have found while migrating from Combell to Office 365. Here are some key areas to watch out for:

• There is always a risk of losing data during the migration process. Ensure that you have a backup in place.
• Migration can cause email service interruptions, leading to downtime. For this, schedule the migration during off-peak hours and communicate the plan to users in advance.
• Users might struggle to adapt to the new system. To overcome this problem, you can provide training and resources to help users transition smoothly.
• Not all data (emails, contacts, calendar items) might get migrated, especially if using basic migration tools. For this, seek support and guidance from Combell to Office 365 migration experts like Apps4Rent.
• Migration involves transferring sensitive data, which can be a security risk. Ensure data encryption during transfer and verify security settings in Office 365 post-migration.

Apps4Rent Can Help with Combell to Office 365 Migration

Migrating from Combell to Office 365 can significantly enhance your business’s productivity. However, it is a complex process that requires careful handling of critical information. To ensure a smooth migration and avoid overlooking important data, you can create a checklist beforehand.

This checklist can include details that are given above in the prerequisites section along with information on user accounts, emails, documents, and any other relevant data that you need to transfer.

Also, to facilitate smooth migration to Microsoft 365, consider taking guidance from experts like Apps4Rent, a Microsoft Solutions Partner. With 16+ years of extensive experience, we can guide you through the entire process effortlessly. You can reach out to us via call, chat, or email. Our expert guidance and services will make the migration process smooth and manageable.