Rackspace to Office 365 Migration – How to Do It?

• Introduction
• Benefits of Migrating from Rackspace to Office 365/ Microsoft 365
• Steps for Migrating Emails from Rackspace to Office 365
• Post-Migration Challenges in Rackspace to Office 365 Transition
• Migrating Rackspace to Office 365 – Is it a Good Idea?

Rackspace Email is a hosting service for businesses that need email accounts for their domain. It provides paid email addresses for business employees. Rackspace Email was a preferred service, especially for small and medium businesses. Although still widely used, the rising adoption of the Office 365 suite has made Rackspace to Office 365 migration increasingly common. This is partly the case because most users are familiar with the Microsoft applications that are a part of Office 365. These applications are interoperable and provide a unified experience as compared with the standalone Rackspace Email application.

Migrating from Rackspace to Office 365 is a strategic decision that many organizations undertake to enhance their communication and productivity capabilities. The migration involves moving critical data and services from Rackspace’s platform to Microsoft’s comprehensive suite of applications. Whether you are considering a migration from Rackspace to Office 365 or are already in the process, it’s crucial to grasp the intricacies, hurdles, and optimal practices involved to optimize the transition and execute it with minimal disruptions.

Benefits of Migrating from Rackspace to Office 365

Migrating from Rackspace to Office 365 offers organizations a range of powerful benefits, from advanced collaboration tools to enhanced security features. Here’s a look at how this transition can improve productivity, streamline operations, and secure your data.

• Advanced Features and Functionality

  Office 365 offers a diverse range of tools such as Exchange Online, SharePoint Online, and Microsoft Teams, designed to optimize communication, encourage seamless collaboration, and streamline document management.

• Scalability and Flexibility

  Office 365 provides the flexibility to scale services up or down based on the organization’s needs, making it easier to adjust to changes in team size or business requirements.

• Data Security and Compliance

  Office 365 provides robust security features, including advanced encryption, proactive threat detection, and data loss prevention measures, ensuring secure migration and compliance with industry regulations and data protection standards.

• Modernization of Communication and Collaboration

  Migrating from Rackspace to Office 365 gives organizations the opportunity to modernize their communication and productivity platforms, unlocking advanced functionality and enhancing collaboration across teams.

• Access Anywhere, Anytime

  With cloud-based services, Office 365 allows employees to access their work from anywhere, on any device, enhancing productivity and flexibility, especially for remote or hybrid work environments.

• Cost Efficiency

  By consolidating email, collaboration, and productivity tools under one umbrella, Office 365 helps reduce operational costs associated with managing multiple platforms and services.

  By understanding the complexities, challenges, and best practices, organizations can ensure a successful migration journey that maximizes the benefits of Office 365, driving growth and innovation.

  

Steps for Migrating Emails from Rackspace to Office 365

The following are steps that need to be taken to migrate Rackspace to Microsoft 365/ Office 365:

1. Create a Rackspace Admin Account

   The first step to be taken before the Rackspace to Office 365 migration process is to create an admin account on Rackspace. This is essentially an email account with full access to all the current Rackspace mailboxes. Ensure that every Rackspace tenant grants “Full Access” permission to the newly created account.

2. Unhide All Objects

   Usually migrating Rackspace mailboxes to Office 365 involves more than just moving mailboxes. There could be Distribution Lists for sending and receiving emails in bulk, Contacts, Resources, and other objects involved in the O365 migration process. These objects must be unhidden before the migration process. If you have distribution lists that use a common email address, ensure that you have the admins or the managers’ details.

3. Identify the Current Server

   Rackspace to Office 365 migration can take place only if you can synchronize the current Rackspace server with Microsoft Exchange. Locate the server on which your Rackspace Emails are hosted. This can be found on the Control Panel. You need this address to connect with the Exchange Server at a later stage.

4. Select Your Office 365 Plan

   There are several Office 365 plans that you can opt from. The plan you would want should depend as much on the applications you need as the size of your business. If you are a small business, you might opt for Office 365 Business Premium or Office 365 Business Essential. You might consider Office 365 Enterprise E3 or Office 365 Enterprise E5 if you are a part of a larger business or need more features.

5. Add Business Domain

   The next step in the Office 365 migration process is to include your business domain in Office 365. You need to do this to ensure that users continue to get their emails on the same email address they were using earlier. This can be done on the admin portal.

6. Start Rackspace to Office 365 Migration

   The actual process of Office 365 migration begins when the two servers are synced. This is done by creating a Migration Endpoint either in PowerShell or the web GUI. This process involves identifying the DNS record of the Exchange Server for your Office 365 accounts and then connecting it with the Rackspace server.

7. Run Migration Batches

   You don’t want to overload your servers. So, you move the objects in the mailboxes in batches. Assuming that you have a large number of items to move, you would be using the cutover migration method for migrating Rackspace mailboxes to Office 365. The time taken for this process could range from a few hours to several days depending upon the size of the data. You can find the status of the migration in the Exchange Admin Center.

8. Enable Users on Office 365

   Depending upon the number of users, you will have to procure licenses for each Office 365 account. Create accounts for each Office 365 user and reset the passwords for users to access their accounts. Once the Rackspace and Office 365 mailboxes of users are in sync, it is time to update the DNS records. It would be ideal to perform this operation during out-of-office hours to avoid impediments to business. Once the DNS records have been updated, sync the mailboxes with a new batch to migrate any new item that may have been missed earlier. Delete the batches and disable the old Rackspace accounts.

Avail free migration assistance for moving Rackspace email to Office 365. Get in touch

Addressing Post-Migration Challenges in Rackspace to Office 365 Transition

Successfully migrating from Rackspace to Office 365 is just the beginning. Organizations must address post-migration challenges to ensure seamless operations, data integrity, and user adoption.

• Verifying Data Integrity

  Carefully review migrated data to identify any potential loss or corruption. Verify that all emails, contacts, calendars, and other essential information have been accurately transferred to Office 365.

• Testing Functionality

  Conduct thorough testing of Office 365 features, including email, calendars, contacts, file sharing, and collaboration tools. Ensure that all applications and integrations function as expected to support business operations.

• User Training and Support

  Provide comprehensive training to help employees navigate the Office 365 environment efficiently. Establish a dedicated support system to address any questions or challenges users may face post-migration.

• Security and Compliance

  Review and implement necessary security measures to safeguard the Office 365 environment. Ensure adherence to regulatory requirements and industry standards to maintain compliance.

  By addressing these post-migration aspects, organizations can fully leverage the benefits of Office 365 while ensuring a smooth transition and sustained productivity.

Migrating Rackspace to Office 365 – Is it a Good Idea?

The Rackspace to Office 365 migration process can be summarized in as few as four sentences.

Create an admin account. Choose your Office 365 plan. Purchase licenses for your users. Sync the accounts. But the devil lies in the details. There are many difficulties associated with self-managed migration. For starters, things like aliases, alternate addresses, group and distribution lists, public folders, and other such items are difficult to migrate.

Besides, there could be compatibility issues, outages, and failures that could be difficult to troubleshoot. It would be ideal to avail of the services of an authorized Office 365 migration service provider to make the transition seamless.

Moreover, organizations can benefit from partnering with experienced Microsoft consultants and certified partners specializing in migrating from Rackspace to Office 365. These professionals possess the expertise, tools, and resources required to plan, execute, and optimize the migration process effectively. From assessing infrastructure readiness to configuring Office 365 services and providing post-migration support, partnering with experienced consultants can streamline the migration journey and ensure a successful transition to Office 365.

Apps4Rent is one such Microsoft-certified service provider. We have assisted clients globally in migration to Office 365. Our engineers provide support 24/7/365 via phone, email, and chat and would gladly be of service to you in migrating from Rackspace to Office 365. Call us now!