How to Perform Google Workspace Tenant to Tenant Migration?

The larger the organization you work in, the more likely you have been or will be part of a migration, either from one service to another or between tenants for the same service. While there are many genres of applications people can migrate from and to, productivity suites, being one of the most used application bundles, see the most migration-related activity. There are many service providers out there, but we all know the big two, Google and Microsoft. Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace occupy such a large market share of the productivity suite market that one can even call it a monopoly. Although the statistics vary based on who you are referring to, the two tech giants collectively own between 70 – 96% of the productivity suite market.

Tenant-to-tenant migrations are essential when a company needs to change tenants but retain their information and services. Given that users will be migrating from an existing account or merging two existing accounts into one, careful data migration is necessary. The process involves migrating emails, contacts, and calendar events, among others. It can be executed manually or by utilizing migration tools, depending on the quantity and complexity of the data to be transferred.

What Are the Types of Google Workspace Tenant Migration?

Migrations are delicate procedures that need thorough planning and preparation to execute with no disruptions. Therefore, it is essential for users handling the transition process to know what kind of migration is to be executed, as the planning phase varies for different migrations.

Transitioning to a New Account: This is the simpler process of the two as moving to a fresh account eliminates worries about duplicate entries or naming conflicts. The key is to identify the data that needs to be transferred and carry out the migration. Utilizing migration tools or professional migration services, like Apps4Rent’s, can greatly simplify and expedite the process.

Integrating Google Workspace Accounts: Conversely, consolidating data from two active accounts presents a more intricate challenge. This situation often arises during mergers or acquisitions, where organizations seek to unify data from distinct entities into one cohesive environment. The primary hurdle is ensuring that all pertinent data is successfully migrated without loss and remains accessible.

What Are the Critical Considerations for Integrating Google Workspace Accounts?

• Establish the file hierarchy and naming conventions that will be adopted.
• Develop a strategy for addressing duplicate files and folders, particularly those with common names.
• Evaluate whether users will need access to both accounts throughout the migration and devise a plan for their transition to the new account.
• Identify any users whose data does not require migration and outline a strategy for managing their information.
• Assess the volume of data that needs to be moved and prepare to navigate Google’s daily upload limits.

With Apps4Rent’s migration specialists by your side, you’ll confidently navigate these challenges and more, ensuring a successful migration from start to finish.

Google Workspace Tenant to Tenant Pre-Migration Checklist

Before initiating your Google Workspace migration, it’s crucial to undertake several preparatory tasks to facilitate a smooth transition. Here’s a checklist of six key pre-migration tasks to guide your process:

• Evaluate Your Current Environment

  • Catalog all types of data, such as emails, calendars, and documents, along with their respective locations.
  • Assess the total number of user accounts and evaluate their associated data volumes.
  • Examine existing permissions and access levels for shared data and drives to ensure a smooth transition.

• Develop Your Migration Strategy

  • Select the appropriate migration tools, like Google Workspace Migrate or third-party options, tailored to your needs.
  • Divide the migration into distinct phases, such as pilot testing, bulk migration, and final synchronization, to enhance organization.
  • Create a timeline for each phase, taking into account potential downtime and user experience.

• Prepare Your New Environment

  • Set up the necessary user accounts in the new Google Workspace tenant or service.
  • Align settings and policies in the new environment with your current configurations to facilitate a seamless transition.
  • Ensure adequate storage is available for incoming data to avoid any disruptions during migration.

• Backup Your Data

  • Use tools like Google Takeout to back up critical data, including emails, calendars, contacts, and Drive files.
  • Store backups in a safe, easily accessible location for quick retrieval if required during the migration.

• Communicate Effectively with Users

  • Inform users about the migration plan, timeline, and any expected service interruptions to set proper expectations.
  • Offer training sessions or materials to assist users in adapting to the new environment effectively.
  • Create avenues for users to report issues or ask questions during the migration process.

• Conduct Migration Testing

  • Run a pilot migration with a small user group to uncover potential challenges before full implementation.
  • Ensure that all data has been successfully migrated and is accessible in the new environment.
  • Adjust your strategy based on user feedback and any issues identified during the pilot phase.
    

  By following these steps, you can ensure a streamlined migration process that minimizes disruptions and maintains data integrity throughout the transition.

Steps for Google Workspace Tenant-to-Tenant Migration of Email Data

The following sections will guide you through a straightforward, manual method to migrate existing emails as well as new incoming emails from your older Gmail mailbox to another one, followed by migrating contacts as well.

Transferring Emails from an Old Gmail Account

To seamlessly migrate your old emails to your new Gmail account, follow these steps:

1. Open Gmail on your computer and sign in to your new account.
2. In the top-right corner, click on the gear icon to access Settings, then select See all Settings.
3. Navigate to the Accounts and Import tab at the top of the settings page.
4. Locate and click on Import mail and contacts.
5. Follow the on-screen prompts to proceed with the import process.
6. Finally, click on Start Import to begin transferring your old emails.

By following these steps, you can easily consolidate your email communications into your new Gmail account.

Setting Up Automatic Email Forwarding in Gmail

Follow these steps to forward incoming emails from one Gmail account to another seamlessly:

1. Open Gmail on your desktop and sign in to the account from which you want to forward emails. In the top-right corner, click the gear icon and select See all settings.
2. Navigate to the Forwarding and POP/IMAP tab. Under the Forwarding section, click Add a forwarding address. Enter the email address where you’d like to forward messages and confirm by clicking Next, then Proceed and OK.
3. A confirmation email will be sent to the forwarding address. Open this email in the recipient account and click the verification link.
4. Return to the Gmail settings of your original account and refresh the page. Under the Forwarding and POP/IMAP tab, select Forward a copy of incoming mail to option. Choose how Gmail should handle the original copy—keeping it in the inbox is recommended.
5. Scroll to the bottom of the page and click Save Changes to activate email forwarding.
6. To forward only certain emails, set up a filter. In Gmail, click the search box, enter the criteria for the emails you wish to forward, and create a filter. Select Forward it and choose the forwarding address. Save the filter to complete the process.

Steps for Migrating Google Contacts

To efficiently migrate your contacts to Google Contacts, follow these steps:

1. Access Google Contacts and sign in to your source account.
2. Select the contacts you wish to migrate.
3. Click the More Actions icon (three vertical dots) and choose Export.
4. In the export window, select Google CSV as the format and click Export.
5. Save the .csv file to a convenient location on your computer.
6. Sign out of your source account and sign in to your target Google account.
7. Open Google Contacts.
8. Click on Import in the left-hand menu.
9. Choose Select file and navigate to the location where you saved the .csv file.
10. Select the .csv file and click Import.
11. After importing, review the contacts to ensure all information has been transferred correctly.
12. Google Contacts will automatically merge duplicate entries.
13. To identify and merge duplicates:
    • Click on Duplicates in the left-hand menu.
    • Select all contacts.
    • Click Merge All.

Connect with Apps4Rent for Simplified Google Workspace Migrations

After following all the steps, we have mentioned below, you will have successfully migrated your old and new incoming emails as well as your contacts from the older tenant Workspace account to the new one. However, you will still need to transfer other essential data, including calendar events, Google Drive files, and various applications such as Google Analytics and Google Photos, to ensure a complete migration. The steps to execute all of these are beyond the scope of this guide, but Apps4Rent’s team of migration experts is ready to assist you with the complexities of navigating this comprehensive data migration, ensuring that no vital information is overlooked and left behind.

Apps4Rent is a Google Cloud Partner and has extensive migration experience, having helped countless businesses optimize their internal operations by facilitating their migration to Google Workspace. Our dedicated support staff will work closely with you to create a customized migration strategy that addresses your specific needs while minimizing disruptions and downtime. You can trust Apps4Rent to make your transition seamless and efficient, allowing you to focus on what matters most – growing your business. Contact our migration experts today over chat, call, or text to accelerate your Google Workspace tenant migration.