Microsoft’s Office 365 continues to gain popularity with a growing number of organisations implementing this cloud-based version of Office. However, before you follow suit, you should be aware of any factors that can cause your migration process to fail.
Slow internet connection speeds
Because Office 365 is primarily cloud-based, you're going to need a solid bandwidth connection to use it. Migrating your files and system over to Office 365 consumes a large quantity of bandwidth, which can result in slower internet speeds during the migration process. If this is being carried out during business hours, employees might struggle to complete tasks that require online connection.
Office 365 is most often delivered over an internet connection rather than in-house servers. This means that the day-to-day demand for bandwidth will increase. If you are already noticing slow speeds and service interruptions before implementing Office 365, these issues will likely worsen after implementation.
To avoid this, you should ask an Office 365 provider to test your existing network connection to ensure that it can handle the migration and day-to-day operation of Office 365. If not, your provider should be able to offer you a solution.
Mailboxes and files are too big
While the business versions of Office 365 come with 50 GB of email storage and over 1 TB of file storage per user, accessing your emails and files online could take a while, especially if you have users whose inboxes are approaching the storage limit.
Larger files will cause the migration process to slow down significantly, which is why you need to prepare for this to avoid disruptions at work. Encouraging your staff to archive their inboxes and delete large, unnecessary files is a good way to ensure the migration process goes smoothly.
Uninformed users
On average, migrating to Office 365 takes around one to three days to complete, depending on the size of your business and the amount of data being transferred.
It is essential that before starting the migration, your users are informed that their files and email will not be accessible during this time. Where possible, migrations should be scheduled out of office hours to minimise any down time.
Outdated software
While some versions of Office 365 come with subscriptions to the latest version of Microsoft Office, they also include built-in support for systems running older versions of Office. If your business is using a version of Office that is older than Office 2010, you might have trouble using Office 365.
When it comes to web browsers, Chrome and Firefox shouldn't give you too many problems. However, if you're utilising their outdated versions, using Office 365 can be extremely difficult. Your provider should tell you if your existing software needs to be updated before migrating to Office 365.
Undertaking the process yourself
On paper, migrating to Office 365 may seem like a simple and straightforward process. This leads many businesses to believe that they can complete an entire migration process without the assistance of experts. However, without proper guidance, you may run into problems that can disrupt vital business operations.
Need help with Office 365?
Our experienced Business Technology Managers (BTMs) are available to assist you roll our an Office 365 project, or to ensure that you have an up-to-date and connected productivity suite. If you need help with yours, give us a call on 1300 307 907.
