Microsoft has officially announced the ending of the Exchange 2016 technical support that is on the 14th of October 2025. After this date, users will no longer get the benefits of the Exchange 2016 regular updates and technical support. So, the users want to migrate Exchange 2016 to Office 365 mailboxes to get better features and smooth their daily work.
At present, we can see the usage of cloud-based platforms like Office 365 is preferred by most users. Here, we will move on to discuss the best methods to complete the Exchange 2016 to Office 365 migration task. Here, we will cover the two best techniques to complete this migration process.
Few methods for the Exchange 2016 to Office 365 migration
When the need to migrate from Exchange 2016 to Office 365 mailboxes emerges, the users have started searching for the best solution to complete this migration process. Here, we want to share that users can either choose the manual method or a professional solution to complete this task. Moreover, users have various manual tricks to cover this migration process. On the other hand, users need to use third-party tools to migrate Exchange 2016 to Office 365 mailboxes professionally. Let us discuss each manual method to complete this migration task effectively.
Various manual ways to migrate Exchange 2016 to Office 365
There are two manual solutions that can be used to perform the Exchange 2016 to Office 365 migration task. Let us discuss them one by one and learn the different methods to do this task.
Cutover Migration: This method users can use for the migration of Exchange 2003 and later versions. Users can easily process up to 2000 mailboxes at once using this solution. Moreover, users need the Exchange Admin Center (EAC) to perform the migration task from an Exchange account to Office 365.
Hybrid Migration: Hybrid migration is a suitable method that helps users migrate Exchange 2016 to Office 365 mailboxes. Usually, this method is preferred by mid-scale organizations. Users can transfer 150 to 2000 mailboxes in small batches in a single go. Users can use this method for moving their Exchange 2013 and above versions.
Also, users can use the IMAP migration method to migrate Exchange 2016 to Office 365 mailboxes. However, we suggest users read the drawbacks of these methods before going through this migration task. The below section will help users to learn some common limitations of these methods.
Disadvantages of moving Exchange to Office 365 manually
Usually, users prefer the manual methods to migrate from Exchange 2016 to Office 365 mailboxes. However, they are not aware of the issues that they are going to face with the manual methods. So, we have shared some common drawbacks of the manual method to perform this task manually; read them out.
- The manual methods can take too much time to complete the process. Users may wait for hours to days to weeks to finish the process.
- The technical skills are necessary for users to have an effective migration of the Exchange 2016 data manually.
- Moreover, users need to follow each step carefully because a single step can ruin the whole process if taken incorrectly.
- These solutions also have restrictions on processing multiple mailboxes and their size. Moreover, users will not be enabled to select particular items from the mailboxes to migrate into Office 365 using manual solutions.
Such kind of limitations can be faced by users while using the manual ways to migrate Exchange 2016 to Office 365 mailboxes. Users can also try professional third-party software to accomplish this task with an easygoing working procedure.
The easiest way to migrate from Exchange 2016 to Office 365
The best method to avoid the manual methods’ issues is the Shoviv Exchange to Office 365 Migration Tool. Users can use this software without any issues and complete the migration in the blink of an eye. This software retains the original folder hierarchy and integrity of emails as it is, even after completing the task. It also comes with various features to overcome the migration challenges. Moreover, users can use its filter option to add or remove items using the date, item type and folder basis criteria.
The GUI of this software is easy, so every user can use it to migrate Exchange 2016 to Office 365 mailboxes. Users can schedule the migration job on a regular, like daily, weekly, or monthly. Moreover, its scheduler option also allows users to choose a specific date and time to complete this task.
Closing Words
We have elaborated on different ways to migrate Exchange 2016 to Office 365 mailboxes in this blog. At last, we urge users to use the Shoviv Exchange Migration Tool for an effective transition between Exchange and Office 365 accounts. Moreover, users do not require any technical expertise to work with this professional solution. It also offers a free demo version that users can use to explore other features and the stepwise working of this tool.
Also read- Exchange mailbox recovery