How to Migrate from Elastic Email to Office 365?

Email marketing is important for every business. It helps you reach your targeted audience and allows you to tailor the message according to their interests and needs. These types of emails are known as marketing emails. Elastic Email and Office 365 are the popular names for email services. Elastic Email focuses mainly on marketing and transactional emails. However, Office 365 is a complete suite of productivity tools by Microsoft.

Considering the same, a shift has been observed in the email service market where businesses are moving from Elastic email to Office 365. To help you with the same, in this guide, we have provided the complete process of the migration along with additional insights that will help you choose between the two.

What Is Elastic Email?

Elastic Email is an email delivery platform that aims to help businesses send transactional and marketing emails. Instead of the website sending emails through its SMTP server, the emails are sent through elastic email. It does not use any third parties to deliver the email.

Elastics email is affordable and pocket-friendly, basically designed for small and medium-sized firms. Its features and tools include campaign creator, subscription forms, email designer, reseller features, email analytics, email designer, private IP, and many more.

Why Should You Migrate from Elastic Email to Office 365?

Now, as both of these platforms have their own USPs — you might be thinking as to why one should migrate to Office 365. Well, before coming to a decision, it is first essential to assess both Elastic Email and Office 365. Considering the same, summarized below are some reasons and features why you should migrate to Office 365:

• Deliverability: Office 365 has stricter spam filters which will provide better deliverability for Microsoft addresses like Hotmail, outlook, etc. Microsoft emails are less likely to be marked as spam and reach the intended recipients.
• One-stop for all email needs: Office 365 is not only for marketing emails. It can handle all types of business emails. This eliminates the need to juggle between multiple subscriptions and software programs for different types of emails. So, it simplifies email management, reduces redundancy, and streamlines the overall workflow.
• Integrated Tools: In addition to the email services, office 365 has a wider range of features such as OneDrive which provides cloud storage, applications like Word, PowerPoint, Excel, etc., and collaboration tools like Microsoft Teams. This will help streamline workflow and improve communication to a much greater extent.
• Security: Microsoft offers a more secure environment for business emails due to its more robust security infrastructure. This will give you peace of mind that your data is protected against any potential security threats.
• Communication and Collaboration: Office 365 enhances teamwork by allowing teams to schedule meetings and manage emails collaboratively. It facilitates simultaneous document editing with colleagues. This eliminates the need for multiple revisions and versions.

Steps for Migrating from Elastic Email to Office 365/ Microsoft 365

Migrating from Elastic Email to Office 365 involves a systematic process of assessing current email infrastructure, planning migration strategies, and executing data transfer and configuration tasks. This migration journey ensures transition, data integrity, and optimized performance within the Office 365 environment. With this being clear, let us know the steps involved in the migration from Elastic Email to Office 365.

• Assess Current Email Infrastructure: Review the existing email setup. This includes domain configurations, DNS records, and email clients used. Identify any custom configurations or integrations with third-party services.
• Plan Migration Strategy: Determine the migration approach. This covers cutover migration, staged migration, or hybrid deployment. Define migration milestones, timelines, and communication plans to keep stakeholders informed.
• Prepare Office 365 Environment: Set up an Office 365 subscription and provision user accounts with appropriate licenses. Configure domain settings in Office 365 and verify domain ownership through DNS records.
• Export Email Data from Elastic Email: Export email data from Elastic Email accounts. This includes emails, contacts, calendars, and tasks. Ensure data integrity and compatibility with Office 365 by verifying file formats and supported protocols.
• Configure Office 365 Mailboxes: Create mailboxes for users in Office 365 and configure mailbox settings. Set up email forwarding or aliases to ensure continuity of communication during the migration process.
• Perform Data Migration: Transfer email data from Elastic Email to Office 365 and make use of migration tools or manual methods. Monitor migration progress and address any issues or errors encountered during the data transfer.
• Verify Migration Success: Validate the completeness and accuracy of migrated data in Office 365 mailboxes. Conduct test email transmissions and verify mailbox functionality — sending, receiving, and accessing archived emails.
• Update DNS Records: Update DNS records to point email traffic to Office 365 mail servers. Configure SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records to enhance email security and prevent spoofing or phishing attacks.
• Train Users and Provide Support: Conduct user training sessions to familiarize users with Office 365 functionalities. Provide ongoing technical support and assistance to address any user queries or issues post-migration.
• Decommission Elastic Email: Once the migration to Office 365 is complete and verified, decommission Elastic Email accounts and services. Disable email forwarding or aliases from Elastic Email and update email clients to connect to Office 365 mailboxes.
• Monitor and Optimize: Continuously monitor Office 365 performance and user feedback to identify areas for optimization. Implement best practices for email management, security, and compliance in the Office 365 environment.

How Apps4Rent Can Help with Elastic Email to Office 365 Migration?

Both Elastic Email and Office 365 have their own features. This allows businesses to choose between the two as per their needs and convenience. However, office 365 stands out by providing holistic services that not only handle all types of emails but also provide access to various productivity tools all in one place. This streamlines the workflow and enhances efficiency to a much greater extent.

As a Microsoft Solutions Partner, Apps4Rent offers a flawless migration solution for businesses looking to transition from Elastic Email to Microsoft Office 365. With years of experience in the field, Apps4Rent ensures a smooth and hassle-free migration process. If you are considering migrating to Office 365, feel free to reach out to the team via chat, phone, or email for expert assistance.