Google Workspace to Microsoft 365 Migration: A Clear Roadmap

5 min readJan 13, 2025

Migrating from Google Workspace to Microsoft 365 is a strategic IT project for large enterprises, especially when it comes to moving massive amounts of data, maintaining security, and minimizing disruption to business.

But with the right strategy, tools and roadmap, IT teams and CTOs can get through this transition smoothly and leverage the features of Microsoft 365.

In this blog post, we will walk you through a technical roadmap for your Google Workspace to Microsoft 365 migration journey, including pilot testing, delta migration, and post-migration validation.

Step 1: Preparation

The first step of migration is all about preparation. Proper planning will save you time and trouble during migration.

Assess Your Current Environment
Before you start the migration, perform a thorough assessment of your Google Workspace setup. Review the following:

Data Inventory: Identify the data that needs to be migrated, emails, files in Google Drive, Google Calendar events and other Google Workspace applications.
User Roles and Permissions: Note down user roles, permissions, and access rights in Google Workspace to map them correctly in Microsoft 365.
Volume and Complexity: Understand the volume of data to be migrated and its complexity. If your organization has data spread across multiple teams, departments, or regions, you need to consider this in your migration strategy.

Define Clear Migration Goals
Your migration goals should be Specific, Measurable, Achievable, and have Zero or minimal downtime during the migration.

Zero or minimal downtime during the migration.
Preserve data integrity, including emails, user permissions, metadata, timestamps and sharing permissions preservation and file versions and embedded links migration.
Smooth cutover from Google Workspace to Microsoft 365 with minimal user disruption.

Choose the Right Migration Tool

Selecting the right migration tool is critical for a smooth transition. Use a tool like CloudFuze X-Change, which has enterprise-grade migration capabilities. CloudFuze offers:

Granular Data Control: Migrate files, emails, or entire user profiles.
Zero Downtime: CloudFuze has incremental and parallel migration, so there is no downtime for end users.
Full Data Integrity: It preserves timestamps, user permissions, file versions, and metadata.

Step 2: Pilot Testing

Pilot testing is the most critical step in the migration process. It allows your IT team to identify issues early, fine-tune the migration strategy, and ensure the migration tool works as expected.

Why Pilot Testing is Important

Early Detection of Issues: During the pilot migration, you can detect issues like permission mapping issues, missing data, or compatibility issues.

Step 3: Delta Migration

Delta migration is a must-have for any migration strategy, especially when working with large enterprise environments. Delta migration reduces the risk of data loss and minimizes downtime by syncing only the changes that have occurred since the initial one-time migration.

What is Delta Migration?
Delta migration is migrating only the data that has been changed or updated since the initial bulk migration. It captures new files, emails, or calendar events that were added or modified after the first migration and moves them to Microsoft 365 without duplication.

How Delta Migration Works:

Initial Migration: First, all core data (emails, files, and other critical data) is migrated from Google Workspace to Microsoft 365.
Delta Sync: After initial migration, delta syncs will migrate any new data created or modified during the migration process (e.g., new emails, calendar updates) in subsequent syncs.
Final Cutover: Once all delta syncs are complete and data is fully synced, final cutover occurs, and users can fully switch to Microsoft 365.

Benefits of Delta Migration:

Minimizes Data Duplication: Only changed data is migrated, no duplicate data transfers.
Reduces Downtime: Users can continue to work in Google Workspace while delta migration occurs, with no downtime during the transition.
Ensures Data Consistency: Delta migration ensures the final data in Microsoft 365 is up-to-date with all changes included.

Example:
Let’s say an employee from the Marketing department creates and updates new files during the migration. Delta migration will move those files to Microsoft 365 without duplicating the initial migration of older files, which is efficient and data-accurate.

Step 4: Full Migration and Post-Migration Validation

After delta migration and migration is complete, the next step is to validate everything is working in Microsoft 365.

Post-Migration Validation

Validation is crucial to ensure the migration was successful and data integrity was maintained. Post-migration checks should include:

Data Accuracy: All emails, documents, calendars, and other critical data migrated correctly.
Permissions and Sharing: Verify permissions, user roles, and sharing settings are set up in Microsoft 365.
Functionality Testing: Test workflows and integrations to ensure all tools (e.g., Microsoft Teams, OneDrive, SharePoint) are working as expected.

User Acceptance Testing (UAT)
After data validation, involve end-users in testing their new Microsoft 365 environment. Have them check emails, documents, calendars, and other tools to confirm everything is in place. This will also allow you to address any user access or data discrepancies issues.

Step 5: Training and Support

Training is key to getting your users ready for Microsoft 365. Ongoing support will ensure any issues that arise post-migration are resolved quickly.

Training
Train users on the new tools in Microsoft 365. This includes training for:

Teams for collaboration and communication.
OneDrive for file storage and sharing.
SharePoint for team collaboration and document management.
Outlook and Exchange for email management.

Ongoing Support
After migration, your IT team should be on hand to sort out any issues as they arise. This includes troubleshooting data access issues or additional guidance on using the Microsoft 365 suite.

Conclusion

Migrating from Google Workspace to Microsoft 365 doesn’t have to be work-intensive. Follow a structured approach — preparation, pilot test, delta migration, full migration, post-migration validation — and large enterprises can migrate with minimal disruption. Use advanced migration tools like CloudFuze, and you have full control over the migration process, data integrity, security, and minimal downtime.

Ready to get started? Click here to help your enterprise migrate

Follow this, and you’ll be migrated to Microsoft 365 in no time!