Tips for Switching to Office 365

Takeaway: Moving to Office 365 will provide anywhere access for Microsoft features but before you decide to switch there are 10 things everyone should consider.

Migrating

Starting fresh or merging Active Directory from a local machine are options when switching to Office 365. Exchange 2010 SP2 can minimize the process of merging an existing Active Directory environment by using the included wizard.

Spam Filtering

Microsoft Forefront Online Protection is the spam filter that will need to be setup and configured when switching to Office 365.

Outbound Addressing

Switching to Office 365 you will have to configure user accounts because the e-mail addresses will add ‘.onmicrosoft.com’ to the end of the addresses.

Utilities

For on-site Exchange servers there are additional utilities that can be installed, for Office 365 you cannot install additional software on 365 servers.

DNS Issues

When switching to Office 365 you will have to confirm a list of DNS entries and create SRV records for Microsoft Lync. If you have a Microsoft DNS server this shouldn’t be an issue.

Management Tools

If there are no longer on-site Exchange servers, Exchange Management Console and ADUC will no longer be used. Exchange Control Panel is the primary management tool for Office 365.

File Server Permissions

Prior to switching to Office 365, decide how users will access on-site File Servers without on-site Domain Controllers and permissions to manage file access. There are a few options before switching your network to Office 365.

Mobile Devices

Connecting mobile devices to Office 365 could take several days. If you chose to start fresh but would like to keep your existing contacts, calendar and mail, you will need to merge the existing PST file to the Office 365 mailbox. If you have merged your organization to Office 365 this should not be a problem.

Control Issues

Office 365 takes control of common administrative tasks such as:

Software upgrades
Patch Management
& many others.

Microsoft Communication

Microsoft will continue to reach out to your organization via e-mail and phone calls to answer any questions and to ensure that everything works out during the switch.