While the initial of migrating your email system to Exchange may be time consuming, it is usually a one-off instance.
Older POP3/IMAP mail service lacks the functionality, scalability and security features that are native to Microsoft Exchange. It provides a centralized system of managing your mail and messaging preventing data loss that may occur on silo endpoints.
The typical steps in a migration process are:
- Create tenant account on Microsoft portal. (End customers or Microsoft resellers will be able to create a unique tenant account for your organization)
Tenant account will allow customer to login to their admin portal at https://login.microsoftonline.com and facilitates assigning of licenses, managing accounts and setting up roles, security features and others. - Customers can then login to their account add and verify the domains that they would like to use for Microsoft Exchange.
Verification process usually entails adding a TXT record to domain's DNS servers or uploading a file to your webserver. - The inbuilt setup wizard will guide the DNS records that has to be added to DNS servers.
In most cases for live email system that is still running on old server, adding just autodiscover record first (and temporarily skipping the others) will allow adding setup of individual Outlook account prior to switching. - Add users and assign licenses. For bulk adding of user accounts, administrator can upload user list using excel template provided within the portal.
- Configure user's Outlook or provide instruction to user to add account the new mailbox to their Outlook.
- Configure delivery location of emails send to old account to new Exchange mailbox or create a connector service within Exchange Admin Center to deliver emails old server temporarily.
- Switch the MX record on your DNS servers to point to Microsoft Exchange provided in the setup wizard. (Email may appear in old and new Microsoft server till propagation completed thus delivery location of old server's email to new Exchange mailbox is critical to avoid confusion)
- Enable SPF, DKIM and DMARC. (Records for both servers may need to be added for both servers till propagation is completed to avoid delivery issues.)
- Configure ARC sealer if need to.
- Once propagation complete (usually after 48 hours), old pop3/imap accounts has to be removed from Outlook so that no emails are sent/received via the old account.
We are able to offer professional service to assist you in the setup for a more seamless and problem-free migration. Feel free to contact us for assistance.
** Adding the Autodiscover record eases setup of mail account in Outlook and there is no need to add server and port to use.
** Users may be required to install authenticator app or add their mobile number for OTP authentication. Alternatively, company may purchase USB security keys as hardware tokens for second factor authentication.
