We’ve been proudly supporting a core group of clients operating Lotus Notes Domino for many years. But we quietly worry for them.
Staying tethered to legacy systems can be costly and leave you trailing behind the competition. For many organisations, Lotus Notes Domino has long served as a stalwart for email services, but it’s time to consider a forward-looking transition to Microsoft 365, and Velocity will support you every step of the way.
It might seem daunting, but delaying this move not only adds unwarranted expenses but also exposes your business to heightened risks. Here are some of the key steps to migrating from Lotus Notes Domino to Microsoft 365 with rationale to support presenting your business case to adopt modern workplace solutions.
Understanding Lotus Notes and Microsoft 365
Lotus Domino Server has been the bedrock for countless businesses, facilitating seamless email services. It connects Lotus Notes email accounts to a network, storing mailboxes in NSF databases. These mailboxes comprise email folders, including inboxes, sent items, tasks, calendars, and contacts.
On the other hand, Microsoft Office 365 offers a versatile, cloud-based Office Suite compatible with various operating systems. It caters to both individual users and businesses, providing a virtual storage environment that reduces administrative costs. Office 365 includes the Outlook Web app, which offers access to emails, contacts, calendars, and more, online or through the desktop client. It even allows system administrators to create shared mailboxes for employees.
Key Drivers for Migrating from Lotus Notes to Office 365
- NSF Database Vulnerabilities: Lotus Notes databases, stored locally or on a network drive, are susceptible to various corruption threats. In contrast, Office 365 leverages cloud storage, safeguarding business emails and documents from such risks.
- Escalating Data Storage Costs: Many organisations opt for Office 365 due to rising in-house expenses tied to Lotus Notes. The cost-effective cloud-based solution provided by Office 365 can effectively alleviate this financial burden.
- Data Privacy Concerns: The confidential information of Lotus Domino organisations often faces threats from internet hackers and malicious entities. Office 365 employs a robust 256-bit encryption layer to protect business documents, ensuring access is granted only to authorised users using their login credentials.
- Office Relocation: When businesses change locations, they often need to adapt their existing email infrastructure. Office 365 provides the flexibility to access crucial data from anywhere, making it the ideal solution for organisations in transition.
- Determine Scope: Decide whether you will move specific or all Lotus Notes mailboxes to the cloud.
- Backup Data: Ensure you have a robust backup of your Lotus Notes databases to mitigate any potential data loss.
- Third-Party Migration Tool: Manual migration from Lotus Notes to Office 365 is not a viable option. Employ a specialised third-party migration tool designed for this purpose. One such tool is the “Office 365 Migrator for Lotus Notes.”
