How to Securely Migrate Your Data From Microsoft 365 to Google Workspace

If you’re considering a move to Google Workspace, you’re looking for a platform built for modern work: deeply collaborative, simpler to manage, and infused with powerful AI.

A data migration is a strategic investment, not just a technical change. The objective is to move all your valuable data — from email archives to shared files — securely and efficiently, while providing your team with the tools and training they need to thrive in a new environment.

This is your essential guide to navigating a secure migration from Microsoft 365 to Google Workspace, including the planning, security, and tools needed for success.

Why Organizations Migrate to Google Workspace

Organizations typically transition from Microsoft 365 to Google Workspace to achieve strategic business objectives:

• Collaboration and Productivity: Google Workspace is fundamentally built for real-time collaboration, helping teams work together more efficiently.
• AI/Automation: With the best of Google AI, including Gemini, now included in all Business and Enterprise plans, AI-enhanced productivity is accessible to every user. Users report saving an average of 105 minutes per week using these built-in AI tools.
• Cost Optimization: Depending on usage, switching to Google Workspace can provide a more financially viable and cost-effective platform for the business.
• Simplified Management and Security: Google Workspace provides enterprise-grade security and compliance features, along with consolidated administrative controls. This includes robust data protection and alignment with HIPAA and GDPR regulations.
• Streamlining Operations: Migration is often a result of major operational changes, such as mergers, acquisitions, or buyouts, where aligning all entities on a single platform is critical.
  
  

3 Critical Phases for a Secure Migration

A successful and secure migration depends on strategic planning and disciplined execution across three key phases.

1. Pre-Migration Planning: Assessment & Readiness

This initial phase defines the scope, minimizes risk, and lays the groundwork for a smooth technical transition.

• Audit Current Data: Determine precisely what data you have, where it is stored, and what user permissions are attached to it. Comprehensive data discovery helps you understand data volume and identify potential migration issues beforehand.
• Create a Migration Roadmap: Develop a detailed plan that outlines the timeline, technical steps, and an iterative approach for moving data to Workspace.
• Identify User Needs: Understand current employee workflows and address specific needs, especially for shared calendars or public folders, which require special attention in the migration process.

2. Securing Data During Transfer: Design & Deploy

During the actual data transfer, security and data integrity must be paramount.

• Use Secure Tools: Migration tools should use encryption and robust protocols to safeguard sensitive data during transit.
• Maintain Permissions: Ensure user and folder permissions (Access Control Lists) are accurately preserved when moving files from OneDrive or SharePoint to Google Drive.
• Validation and Testing: Run pilot migrations or dry runs with a small, representative sample of users to verify data integrity and confirm access controls before the full cutover.

3. Change Management: Enable & Embed

Technical completion is only half the battle; the success of a migration is measured by user adoption and productivity on the new platform.

• Minimize Downtime: Plan migration phases, including delta migrations, to minimize business disruption and downtime for end-users.
• User Training: Provide targeted training focused on the new, powerful capabilities of Google Workspace and Gemini, emphasizing collaborative workflows.
• Post-Migration Support: Offer dedicated post-cutover support and ongoing training to reinforce adoption and address any user challenges quickly.

Migration Tools & Expert Support

The choice of migration tool depends on the complexity and scale of your organization’s data, with options ranging from built-in Google services to enterprise-grade third-party solutions.

Google’s Built-In Tools

Google provides several options accessible through the Admin Console that are suitable for smaller, more straightforward migrations. 

The Enterprise Solution: CloudM

For large organizations, complex environments, or specific needs (like mergers and acquisitions), a dedicated, enterprise-grade tool is required. Promevo partners with CloudM for these complex migrations.

• CloudM Features: CloudM Migrate is designed for secure, high-speed migrations, performing a copy operation that does not alter or delete the source data. It includes detailed reporting and pre-migration environment scans to identify roadblocks.
• Deployment Flexibility: CloudM Migrate offers two deployment options:
  • Self-Hosted (On-Premise): Ideal for customers requiring complete control, internal technical expertise, and full data sovereignty, as all migration data remains within your private network.
  • SaaS (Hosted): A less complex setup that is scalable and ready to use, requiring less technical know-how for a quicker start.
• Data Coverage: CloudM supports migration from over 20 source platforms, including a wide range of data types from Microsoft 365:
  • Mail (Exchange Online, Exchange On Premise, IMAP)
  • Files (OneDrive for Business, SharePoint Online)
  • Collaboration (Microsoft Teams)
  • Archive (Outlook PST, Exchange Online Archives)
    
    

Partnering with Promevo

Promevo has handled over 300 Google Workspace migrations and works to simplify the complexity of moving to a new platform.

We offer an end-to-end approach, where our team focuses on the crucial elements that drive adoption:

• Technical Guidance: We provide expertise in assessment, design, and deployment, leveraging partners like CloudM for high-fidelity technical execution.
• Change Management: Our specialists lead the Change Management side, focusing on user enablement, training, and strategic communication to ensure your team is ready for the new tools.
• Post-Migration Success: After the migration is complete, we help you monitor and secure your new environment using proprietary tools like gPanel, which brings enterprise-level management and automation to the Google Workspace Admin console.

A shift to Google Workspace is a commitment to a modern, AI-powered future. By adopting a comprehensive, secure, and user-focused migration plan, your organization can successfully transition and immediately unlock higher levels of collaboration and productivity.

Ready to start planning your secure shift to Google Workspace? Contact us today to discuss your migration needs.

FAQs: Migrating From Microsoft 365 to Google Workspace

Is my sensitive data secure during the migration process, and will we remain compliant?

Yes. Data security is paramount throughout the entire migration process. The data transfer is secured using encryption by the migration tool. Maintaining compliance with regulations like HIPAA and GDPR is a core part of the planning phase.

Crucially, a secure migration ensures the accurate preservation of Access Control Lists (ACLs). This means that when files are moved from SharePoint or OneDrive to Google Drive, the original user and folder permissions are preserved, ensuring that only authorized individuals have access to the transferred files.

How do I know whether to use Google’s built-in tools or a third-party solution like CloudM?

The choice depends primarily on your organization’s size and the complexity of the data to be moved. For small to mid-sized organizations with 1 to 100 users, we recommend using Google’s Data Migration Service (DMS), accessible via the Admin Console. More complex or larger organizations with over 1,000 users should use Google Workspace Migrate (GWM) or a high-fidelity partner solution like CloudM. 

If you’re involved in a merger or acquisition, CloudM Migrate is the enterprise standard, designed for high-volume, complex scenarios and ensuring a 99.98% migration success rate. It offers deployment flexibility (Self-Hosted for data sovereignty or SaaS for a quick start).

What specific types of data can be moved from Microsoft 365 to Google Workspace?

You can successfully migrate virtually all critical organizational data from your Microsoft 365 environment, including mail (Exchange Online, Exchange On-Premise, and archived mail), OneDrive and SharePoint files (along with all associated permissions), collaboration data from Microsoft Teams (including chat history), and all user accounts, passwords, and group information.

Promevo and partners like CloudM support migration from over 20 modern and legacy source platforms to ensure all your data makes the move.

What is Promevo’s role in the migration, and how do you ensure user adoption?

Promevo acts as your end-to-end Google Workspace Premier Partner, specializing in both the technical delivery and the human element of change. We conduct migration readiness assessments and provide strategic oversight, often leveraging partners like CloudM for the heavy technical lifting and secure data transfer.

Our specialists also lead the crucial Change Management phase, including targeted training and communication plans to ensure your employees are ready and productive on day one. This focus on user adoption is key to realizing the full ROI of your migration. After the migration, we provide ongoing support and management using our proprietary tool, gPanel, which gives administrators powerful, enterprise-level controls for managing and automating tasks in the new Google Workspace environment.