Challenge
A company of 50 employees was using an ageing on-premise email server and a file server with no remote access capability. Post-pandemic, employees needed reliable access from home, the office and mobile devices — without sacrificing security.
Solution
Planned and executed a phased migration to Microsoft 365:
Phase 1 — Preparation
- Audited existing mailboxes, shared folders and permissions.
- Set up Microsoft 365 tenant, configured custom domain, DNS records and SPF/DKIM/DMARC for email security.
Phase 2 — Email migration
- Migrated all mailboxes using cutover migration during a weekend window with zero data loss.
- Configured shared mailboxes, distribution lists and resource calendars.
Phase 3 — File storage
- Migrated shared drives to SharePoint Online with rebuilt permission structure.
- Set up OneDrive sync for personal files, enabling transparent offline access.
Phase 4 — Security & identity
- Deployed Azure AD with Conditional Access policies.
- Enforced MFA for all accounts with Microsoft Authenticator.
- Configured Intune for mobile device management.
Result
All 50 users were migrated with minimal disruption. The client eliminated the cost and risk of maintaining on-premise mail and file servers. Remote work became seamless and IT overhead dropped significantly.