Migration from Lotus Notes to Microsoft Exchange 2007

MS Exchange vs. Lotus Notes

The past couple weeks there has been some news on the spats and quibbles between IBM and Microsoft over the popularity of Lotus Notes and Microsoft Exchange 2007.  With dedicated e-mail servers and Enterprise business email appeal growing at an increasingly faster pace, the stakes are high to grab as much of the market as possible.

With the current popularity of dedicated Exchange hosting and a new version on the horizon with 3.5 million Exchange 14 beta testers, it’s not too surprising to me if Microsoft has the larger reach.

Get Your Exchange Migration On

So, are you one of those who are contemplating a migration from Lotus Notes to MS Exchange 2007?  Moving software is always a hassle, often raising concerns and confusion with backups, data integrity, and the learning curve of new software.

Lucky for us, Microsoft has made these migrations much easier to do with the Microsoft Transporter Suite.  The MS Transporter Suite is an easy to use migration tool specifically designed from moving content from Lotus Domino servers or a generic POP/IMAP server into Exchange Server 2007.  There are both 32-bit and 64-bit formats for installation available for free download.

How to Avoid E-mail Migration Nightmares

Migrating computer data is sort of like planning a camping trip.  No matter how prepared you think you are, you to realize you’ve forgotten something.  Hopefully it’s something only mildly important like a hair dryer or nail clippers, but if you’ve forgotten the tent stakes, beer, or matches….. you can expect a long, restless night.

A few simple steps that should ALWAYS be handled in a migration scenario:

Always Back Up Your Data

If your business depends on this data to run, handle it only with the finest velvet gloves. Always, always keep a good copy of your data around and test it by importing it back into the current software you’re migrating from. If it goes smoothly, back it up in two places, preferably with one on hard media (CD, DVD, or Blu-Ray Disc) if it will fit – label it, and stash it somewhere safe and secure at least until you’ve got it running on a server with full backup capabilities. You really can’t be too safe with business-critical data.

Prepare Your Users

Let your staff know up front that they can expect software changes. Nothing is worse than coming into work with a plate full of projects, only realize you have no idea how to use the new software that just replaced their e-mail program by surprise. Prepare your users with proper training on the new systems, ensure their PCs have all the tools and configurations to use it, and ensure everyone has instructions, names, passwords required to access. If you’re not sure, at least give them a heads up on when they can expect it so they can plan accordingly. Advance notice also lessens impromptu knocks at your office door, either asking how to use the software or when they can expect their email to work again.

Install and Test the New Software

Leave the original software running if possible while you install and prepare Microsoft Exchange. Import the data, test it all, make any custom configurations, and make sure it’s all there. If possible, launch them side by side before you take down the original e-mail service.

Support your Users

Ask your users to check their data first thing in the morning to be sure all of their data has moved successfully. There’s always someone in the office who can’t seem to configure things properly or use the software….always expect these issues to pop up and be prepared to address them as quickly as possible. Again, having a system in place for Inter-office Support requests relieves a lot of stress for everyone, snuffs out the Office Doomsayers and lessens impromptu office visits!