Microsoft 365 migration · Middle East
Microsoft 365 migrationservices
We move your email, calendars, contacts and files into Microsoft 365 from whatever you run today, on a schedule that keeps mail flowing and staff working.
Microsoft 365
Outlook
Why Gulf Infotech
Who runs your migration
Microsoft Solutions Partner for Modern Work
also Google Cloud Premier Partner, so we know both ends of a Google-to-Microsoft move.
In business since 2007
with 1,500+ active cloud customers across the Middle East.
Offices
in Dubai, Muscat and Doha, with a remote migration team working in English and Arabic.
350,000+ users migrated
since 2007.
Some of the clients we work with
Microsoft 365 migration is the move of mailboxes, calendars, contacts and files into Exchange Online, OneDrive, SharePoint and Teams. Gulf Infotech, a Microsoft Solutions Partner in business in the Middle East since 2007, migrates companies from Google Workspace, GoDaddy, on-premise Exchange, Zoho Mail and IMAP hosts, and between Microsoft 365 tenants, with users keeping their email addresses.
Apps in every Microsoft 365 business plan
At a glance
Which systems can you migrate to Microsoft 365?
We migrate from any mainstream mail system. What moves, and how, depends on the source.
| Moving from | What moves | Method | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Google Workspace | Mail, calendars, contacts; Drive files to OneDrive and SharePoint | Microsoft's Google Workspace migration for mail; Migration Manager for Drive | Google Docs, Sheets and Slides convert to Word, Excel and PowerPoint; shared drive permissions need mapping |
| GoDaddy Microsoft 365 | Mailboxes, OneDrive, Teams data | Defederate the GoDaddy tenant or move to a new tenant | GoDaddy controls the tenant admin; plan the release with them first |
| On-premise Exchange | Full mailboxes, archives, public folders | Cutover, staged or hybrid migration | Cutover handles up to 2,000 mailboxes, but Microsoft recommends 150 or fewer; larger estates go hybrid |
| Zoho Mail or IMAP hosting (cPanel, Plesk, local ISPs) | Email folders | IMAP migration | IMAP moves mail only; contacts and calendars are exported and imported separately |
| Another Microsoft 365 tenant | Mailboxes and OneDrive; SharePoint sites and Teams content planned separately | Microsoft cross-tenant mailbox and OneDrive migration | Needs Microsoft's Cross Tenant User Data Migration licence, a one-time fee per user that covers mailbox and OneDrive |
| PST files and file servers | Archived mail, network shares | PST import, SharePoint Migration Tool | Large archives are shipped or uploaded in batches |
We choose the migration tool for each project from your use case and its complexity: the platforms' native tools, BitTitan MigrationWiz, or SysTools for moving data. That covers tenant-to-tenant and GoDaddy moves, SharePoint sites and Teams content.
Moving the other way? See Google Workspace migration.
How it works
How does a Microsoft 365 migration work?
Every project follows the same five steps. Only the size of each step changes.
Step 1
Audit
we list mailboxes, shared and group addresses, archive sizes, file shares, DNS records and anything that sends mail on your behalf, such as scanners, ERP and website forms.
Step 2
Prepare the tenant
licences per team, domain verification, users and groups, MFA, and SPF, DKIM and DMARC ready for cutover.
Step 3
Pre-stage data
older mail and files copy across while staff keep working on the old system.
Step 4
Cut over
MX records switch, typically on the last working evening of the week, so new mail lands in Exchange Online. A final sync picks up the last messages.
Step 5
Day one
we help users open Outlook and Teams, re-connect phones and sign in to OneDrive, then stay on hand for questions in the first week.
At a glance
How long does an Office 365 migration take?
Most of the time goes into planning and pre-staging, not the cutover itself. These are typical, indicative ranges that depend on your requirements; your audit sets the real timeline.
| Size | Typical duration | Cutover |
|---|---|---|
| Up to 25 users | About 1 week | One evening |
| 25 to 150 users | 2 to 3 weeks | One weekend |
| 150 to 500 users | 3 to 6 weeks | Weekend batches |
| Over 500 users or hybrid Exchange | 6 weeks or more | Phased by department |
Large mailboxes, slow source servers and file shares in the terabytes add time. Tenant-to-tenant moves after a merger also depend on when both legal entities can sign off.
What we do
What do users need to do during the migration?
Very little. Staff do not export or upload anything. They need to:
We send a one-page guide in English and Arabic before cutover and run short training sessions on Outlook, Teams and Copilot.
Set up MFA
on the new account when they first sign in, if it is not already on.
Open Outlook once
on each computer so it connects to the new mailbox; on phones, add the account again in Outlook mobile.
Check the OneDrive sync
has picked up their files, if files were moved.
Tell us
about any mailbox or address we did not find in the audit.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
How long does an Office 365 migration take?
A small office of up to 25 users typically migrates in about a week, with the cutover done in one evening. Teams of 25 to 150 users typically take two to three weeks, and larger or hybrid Exchange estates six weeks or more, phased by department. Most of the time is planning and copying older data in the background, so staff keep working until cutover. These durations are indicative estimates: they depend on your number of users, the complexity, your current setup, the requirements of the new platform and the availability of your team and decision-makers.
Can you do a tenant-to-tenant migration?
Yes. We move mailboxes and OneDrive files from one Microsoft 365 tenant to another with Microsoft's cross-tenant tools, and move SharePoint sites and Teams content as a separate step with the tool that fits the case (native tools, BitTitan MigrationWiz or SysTools), for mergers, acquisitions, rebrands or leaving a reseller's tenant. Microsoft requires a Cross Tenant User Data Migration licence for each user moved, a one-time fee. We map users and domains between tenants and schedule the domain move so mail is not lost.
Do users need to do anything?
Very little. Users do not export or upload data. After cutover they sign in to the new account, set up multi-factor authentication if needed, open Outlook so it connects to the new mailbox, and re-add the account on their phone. We send a short guide in English and Arabic beforehand and are on hand during the first days.
Can we migrate from Google Workspace to Microsoft 365?
Yes. Gmail, calendars and contacts move to Exchange Online with Microsoft's Google Workspace migration, and Google Drive files move to OneDrive and SharePoint with Migration Manager. Google Docs, Sheets and Slides are converted to Word, Excel and PowerPoint. We plan the MX switch for outside working hours, so users keep their addresses and do not miss mail.
How do we move from GoDaddy Office 365 to a Microsoft partner?
GoDaddy runs its Microsoft 365 plans in a tenant it administers, so moving to a partner means either defederating that tenant from GoDaddy or migrating your mailboxes to a new tenant. Both work; which is better depends on your data volume and how many add-ons GoDaddy manages. We check your setup first, then plan the switch so email keeps arriving.
Will we lose email during the migration?
No. Older mail is copied before cutover, and the MX record change sends new mail straight to Exchange Online. A final sync picks up anything that arrived on the old system in between. We recommend keeping the old system readable for a few weeks after cutover as a safety net, then help you close it.
Ready when you are
Plan your Microsoft 365 migration
Tell us what you run today and how many users you have, and we will send a migration plan and timeline.