Microsoft 365 to IMAP migration software

Office 365 to an IMAP migration is essential for organizations seeking specific email management and more flexible systems. EdbMails Office 365 migration software supports direct migration of Office 365 mailbox data to IMAP enabled servers without any intermediary steps. EdbMails ensures the migration of all Office 365 email data while preserving the mailbox folder structure on the target IMAP server.

EdbMails facilitates Office 365 email migration to various IMAP enabled email servers, including Outlook, Gmail, Zoho, Zimbra, and other platforms such as IceWarp, cPanel, Plesk, GoDaddy, Rackspace, AWS Workmail, Bluehost, and Dreamhost.

The subsequent sections cover Office 365 to IMAP migration scenarios, pre-migration activities, step-by-step instructions, and the valuable tips necessary for a successful migration of mailbox data from Office 365 to different IMAP platforms.

1. Office 365 to IMAP migration : Pre-migration activities

   Before initiating the migration process from Office 365 to an IMAP server, ensure the following preparatory tasks are completed:

   • On the source Office 365 server side :
     1. Ensure to have a Office 365 Global admin account with suitable license
     2. Assign the suitable Office 365 licenses for the mailboxes you wish to migrate

         Click here to assign Microsoft 365 licenses to user accounts

     3. To migrate Office 365 public folders, archive mailboxes and shared mailboxes, ensure that you configure them appropriately .

         Click here to create Office 365 Public folder and assign admin permissions.

         Click here to create Shared mailboxes on Office 365 and set the required permission

         Click here to enable archive mailboxes on Office 365

     4. Verify that you have enough bandwidth for Office 365 migration

         Click here for network and migration planning, performance factors and best practices for Office 365 migration.

     5. For large messages(items) migration, configure Office 365 to increase the message size limit.

         Click here for the steps to increase the message size on Office 365 to 150MB.

   • On the target IMAP server side :
     1. Get your IMAP server host name, port number, email address and password required for login.
     2. If you are migrating multiple mailboxes, prepare a csv file with the columns such as email address, password, IMAP server host name and port number.
     3. If you are migrating Office 365 to Gmail account, ensure to create app password for Gmail account

         Click here for the steps to create app password for Gmail account

2. Microsoft 365 to IMAP migration steps using EdbMails

   EdbMails simplifies Office 365 to IMAP migration with its intuitive software interface, ensuring an easy and secure transfer of all mailbox data. Follow the steps below to complete the migration process successfully.

   Step 1: Download and Install EdbMails Software

   • Download and install the EdbMails application on your computer.

     

   • Launch the application and either 'Login' with the appropriate details or 'Start Your Free Trial' to verify the software functionality.

     

   • Select 'Office 365 Migration' from the dropdown list.

     

   Step 2: Connect to Office 365 Source Server

   • In the 'Connect to Office 365 (Source)' window, keep the default 'Auto Registration' enabled, as EdbMails automatically registers the application on your Entra ID (Azure Active Directory). Then, click the ‘Login’ button.

     

     Click here if you want to manually register EdbMails application on your Entra ID (Azure Active Directory)

   • Select the required migration operation and click the ‘Continue’ button

     

   • Authenticate on the Microsoft sign-in page using a global admin account that has a mailbox.

     

   • Accept the necessary permissions for the application to carry out the migration operation.

     

   • If you’ve previously established an Office 365 connection with EdbMails, the list of mailboxes will be saved and can be reused. For a new connection, click the ‘No’ button to access the mailbox loading options.

     

   • EdbMails automatically loads mailboxes from your source Office 365 server. If the automatic loading option does not list the required mailboxes, you can use a CSV file to load them manually. Alternatively, you can choose to load mailboxes from a previously saved list.

     

   Step 3: Select the mailboxes

   • Choose the mailboxes and folders from the left pane of the main migration window.

     

   • EdbMails supports concurrent mailbox migration, starting with a default setting that permits the simultaneous transfer of up to 10 mailboxes. You can increase this number to up to 20 mailboxes to further accelerate the migration.

     

   • Click 'Migrate to IMAP' to establish a connection with the target server.

     

   Step 4: Connect to target IMAP server

   • If you want to connect to a single user, select the ‘Single User / Account Migration’ check box. Then, select your IMAP server host name from the list or type the required host name. Next, enter the Port number, email address, password and click the ‘Login’ button

     

   • If you want to migrate multiple mailboxes, select ‘Multiple (bulk) Users/Accounts Migration’ and click the ‘Load Mailboxes From CSV File’ button.

     

   • Download the sample CSV file

     

   • Modify the CSV file with the required details such as email address, password, host name and port number in the CSV file and Save the changes.

     

   • Next, browse and load the CSV file.

     

     Click here for the detailed steps to connect to single and multiple IMAP users

   Step 5: Source and target server mailbox mapping

   • Select the required option to map the mailboxes

     

   • EdbMails automatically maps the source server mailboxes to the target server mailboxes. Additionally, you can manually map mailboxes and folders, map source folders to the required folders on the target server, or use a CSV file for mailbox and folder mapping.

     

   • EdbMails lets you customize your Office 365 migration process precisely. You can migrate the selective data by applying the filters such as date range, sender, recipient, Cc, Bcc, read/unread status, and attachment names. You can also choose to skip standard folders.

     

   Step 6: Start Microsoft 365 to IMAP migration operation

   • Once you've set everything up, enter the job name and initiate the migration. EdbMails will prompt a confirmation message after a successful migration. You can verify the migration status using the log report, which includes the count of migrated emails, folders, and other details.

     

   • Also, log in to your target server and verify the migrated items.

3. Microsoft 365 to IMAP Post-migration activities

   After the migration is complete, modify your MX records to direct mail flow to the new server.

4. Microsoft 365 to IMAP migration best practices

   Following best practices is crucial for a successful migration from Office 365 to IMAP. These practices help ensure a smooth and uninterrupted migration. Here’s a detailed look at the recommended approaches:

   1. Initiate Early Migration Planning: Starting planning well in advance allows proactive identification and resolution of potential migration challenges, ensuring readiness for a successful migration.
   2. Choose the Right Migration Tool: The selection of an Office 365 to IMAP migration tool is crucial. Opt for a solution like EdbMails that aligns perfectly with your organization's goals and requirements, ensuring a successful migration experience.
   3. Segment the Migration into Manageable Batches: Improve manageability by dividing the migration into smaller batches. This simplifies oversight and troubleshooting, providing better control over the entire migration process.
   4. Conduct Thorough Pilot Testing: Before beginning the actual migration, conduct comprehensive testing in a controlled pilot environment. This phase is invaluable for identifying and resolving any potential issues, ensuring a smooth migration.
   5. Ensure Transparent Communication with Stakeholders: Maintain open and consistent communication with all involved stakeholders, ensuring everyone is well-informed, adheres to timelines, and possesses clear expectations.
   6. Monitor Migration Progress Vigilantly: Continuous monitoring of the migration process is critical. Regularly assess progress to confirm alignment with the established plan, addressing any deviations promptly.
   7. Enhance Migration Performance: By default, EdbMails supports the simultaneous migration of 10 mailboxes in parallel. However, you can increase this concurrent mailbox count to 20 to further enhance performance and speed.
   8. Run Migration from Multiple Computers: You can install EdbMails on multiple computers to migrate different mailboxes concurrently further accelerating the process.
   9. Incremental migration support to avoid duplicates: EdbMails offers robust support for incremental migration during subsequent migrations, that migrates only the new and modified source items that are not considered in the previous migration runs and prevents duplicate items on target servers.

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Additional resources:

• EdbMails Office 365 migration software
• Office 365 to Gmail migration
• Office 365 migration guide
• Office 365 to Exchange migration
• Office 365 to PST export

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