Google Workspace to Microsoft 365 Migration
Case StudyInfrastructure Construction Company
Standardizing operations and security for an Alaskan Enterprise
The infrastructure construction company, Alaskan-owned and operated, is an entity of a large enterprise organization. The company specializes in comprehensive project buildouts including directional drilling, utility and infrastructure installation, cellular tower projects, and fiber optic services. It maintains a focus on innovative technology and a commitment to top-tier safety standards.
Challenge
The enterprise organization had an initiative to standardize operations enterprise-wide on one cloud platform to help manage the productivity and security of their entities. While the rest of the enterprise’s companies were already using Microsoft 365, the infrastructure construction company relied on Google Workspace (G Suite) and an on-premises file server.
To align with the broader organization and enhance productivity and security, it was time for the company to make the move to Microsoft 365.
Arctic IT was very helpful in all facets of the project. Our questions were answered quickly and completely, and all project tasks were clearly explained and completed in a timely manner. Any issues along the way were resolved quickly and professionally.
Solution
The construction company teamed up with Arctic IT, a certified Microsoft Solutions Partner, to transition its operations from Google Workspace to Microsoft 365. To begin the project, Arctic IT:
- Created resources in Microsoft Entra ID and Intune for company staff.
- Migrated Gmail mailboxes to Microsoft Exchange Online.
- Transferred personal Google drives over to SharePoint and OneDrive.
Migrating to Microsoft 365 brought significant security enhancements to the company, including the advanced capabilities of Microsoft Defender. This comprehensive security solution offers robust features for antivirus protection, email filtering, and overall threat management. Microsoft Defender also provides global administrators with a centralized, ‘single pane of glass’ view to manage and monitor security and endpoint policies efficiently. As part of the migration, multi-factor authentication (MFA) and conditional access policies were implemented for all users, further bolstering security measures.
Using Microsoft Intune, a powerful device and application management tool, Arctic IT successfully deployed Microsoft 365 Apps for Enterprise across all construction company devices. This streamlined process eliminated the need for manual installation on each individual device, saving considerable time and effort. Intune also enabled the enterprise organization to effortlessly apply security policies to the company’s endpoints, elevating its security posture with minimal disruption to staff’s daily device usage.
Results
From an enterprise standpoint, migrating the construction company from Google Workplace to Microsoft 365 has enhanced collaboration, management, and security across the organization. Entities can now communicate more effectively using shared files and streamlined communication tools, while the enterprise’s IT team benefits from simplified management of licensing, security, and endpoints.
The Director of Information Technology at the enterprise stated, “We made the move from Google Workspace to Microsoft 365 to improve functionality and security for [the construction company]. Migrating the entity from a hybrid environment setup to a cloud-based platform, under [the enterprise]’s tenant, provides us with seamless collaboration.”
This migration has significantly improved communication and data security for the [construction company] team. We are already experiencing greater efficiency in device management, application deployment, and policy implementation.”
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