Microsoft tenancy migration — Moving 25 years of agency data

The job

We needed to move 25 years of Microsoft data, over 3TB, and 40 accounts into a different Microsoft business account.

I spent around three to four months coordinating the stakeholders and IT company, preparing for an overnight move with five IT specialists.

The overnight move

At around 5pm, staff lost access to their email and data while the migration took place. I worked with the IT team through the cutover so everything was available in the new account the following morning.

The morning after

The data was back, but the paths to it had changed. Staff had new email addresses and new links to their files.

That also affected files shared with clients. Existing links pointed to the old location and needed updating. The work included coordinating that follow-up, alongside helping the team access the new environment.

The scale

• 25 years of Microsoft data

• More than 3TB

• 40 accounts

• Three to four months of preparation

• Five IT specialists working with me on the overnight move