Microsoft 365 puts your email, files, Teams and Office apps in one place you can reach from anywhere. The move itself is what makes people nervous, and fair enough, because email and files are the lifeblood of most businesses. Here's what actually happens, minus the jargon.
What you’re moving
A typical switch covers a few things:
- Email and calendars moved across to Exchange Online
- Shared files lifted into SharePoint or OneDrive
- Teams set up for chat, calls and meetings
- The Office apps (Word, Excel, Outlook) installed on everyone’s devices
The bit people worry about: email
The fear is always the same. Will we lose emails? Done properly, no. We copy everything across first, so your old mail is sitting safely in the new account before we flip the switch. The changeover itself is usually scheduled for an evening or weekend, so by Monday everyone signs in and their mail is just there.
What can go wrong (and how we avoid it)
Most migration horror stories come from rushing it. The things that trip people up are old emails not copied across fully, shared mailboxes forgotten, or staff not knowing how to sign in on day one. We plan around all three: a full copy beforehand, a checklist of every mailbox and shared folder, and a quick walk-through for your team so nobody’s stuck on Monday morning.
How long it takes
For a small team it's often a single weekend. Larger setups with a lot of data take a bit longer, but the disruption to your staff is usually just one login change. If you're weighing it up, have a read of our Microsoft 365 service or get in touch and we'll tell you honestly what your move would involve.
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Frequently asked questions
How long does a Microsoft 365 migration take?
For a business under thirty staff, the mailbox and file migration usually runs over one weekend, with staff set up on the Monday. Planning and mailbox pre-syncing happen in the week or two before. Larger businesses or anything with a file server and shared drives takes two to four weeks end to end.
Will we lose email during the switch?
No, if it is done properly. Mail is copied to the new mailboxes before the cutover, then the domain's MX record is changed and new mail flows to Microsoft 365. Nothing is deleted from the old system until you have confirmed everything arrived. Keep the old mailboxes for at least a month as a safety net.
What does Microsoft 365 cost per user in New Zealand?
Business Basic is the cheapest tier with email and web apps only. Business Standard adds the installed Office apps and is where most businesses sit. Business Premium adds device management and the security features worth having if staff use their own laptops or phones. Prices change, so check Microsoft's current NZ pricing, and remember licences are per user per month on top of any setup cost.
Do we still need backup if we use Microsoft 365?
Yes. Microsoft keeps your service running but does not keep a long-term backup of your data for you. Deleted items age out, and a staff member or an attacker can remove files permanently. A third-party backup for mail, OneDrive, SharePoint and Teams typically costs a few dollars per user per month and is the cheapest insurance in the stack.