Google Workspace to Microsoft 365 Migration for a 3,500-User Organization

Posted at 20:36h in Customer Stories by Prashanth M 0 Comments

Client Requirement

The client was operating on Google Workspace and approached us with a clear objective:

They wanted to migrate to Microsoft 365 to standardize collaboration, improve security, and better align with their enterprise IT strategy.

Their key expectations included:

Migrate 3,500 user accounts from Google Workspace to Microsoft 365
Ensure complete migration of Gmail, Google Drive, Contacts, and Calendars
Enable seamless transition to Outlook, OneDrive, SharePoint, and Teams
Avoid data loss, downtime, and user disruption
Establish a secure and scalable Microsoft 365 environment

Challenges Identified

During the discovery phase, we identified several migration challenges:

Large-scale mailbox migration with high data volume (TBs of email & files)
Mapping Google Drive structures to OneDrive and SharePoint
Ensuring calendar and contact synchronization accuracy
Managing user adoption shift from Google tools to Microsoft tools
Maintaining business continuity during migration
Avoiding performance impact during working hours

3. Star Knowledge’s Approach

1. Migration Planning & Assessment

Conducted a full audit of Google Workspace environment
Identified all users, shared drives, and data dependencies
Designed a phased migration strategy to reduce risk

2. Microsoft 365 Tenant Setup

Configured a new Microsoft 365 tenant
Set up users, licenses, and domain configurations
Implemented baseline security policies

3. Gmail to Exchange Online Migration

Migrated 3,500 mailboxes, including emails, folders, and attachments
Ensured migration of calendars and contacts with full integrity
Maintained mail flow continuity during cutover

4. Google Drive to OneDrive & SharePoint Migration

Migrated personal files to OneDrive
Transferred shared drives to SharePoint Online
Preserved folder hierarchy, permissions, and sharing settings

5. Teams Deployment & Collaboration Setup

Enabled Microsoft Teams for communication and collaboration
Configured teams, channels, and access controls
Ensured smooth transition from Google Chat/Meet

6. Security & Identity Management

Implemented Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)
Configured conditional access and compliance policies
Strengthened identity and access management

7. User Training & Post-Migration Support

Conducted user onboarding sessions for Microsoft tools
Provided hypercare support during and after migration
Resolved user-level issues quickly to ensure adoption

Solution Highlights

Successfully migrated 3,500 users from Google Workspace to Microsoft 365
Transferred 100% of email, calendar, contact, and file data with no loss
Achieved minimal downtime during transition
Enabled seamless adoption of Microsoft tools across the organization
Delivered a secure and scalable cloud environment

Client Impact

Improved collaboration using Teams, SharePoint, and OneDrive
Enhanced security with Microsoft 365 native capabilities
Unified productivity ecosystem under a single platform
Increased IT control and governance
Reduced operational friction across teams

Key Takeaways

Migrating from Google Workspace to Microsoft 365 at scale requires more than just data transfer — it demands structured planning, workload mapping, and strong user adoption support to ensure a truly successful transformation.