Smooth Transition: Migrating From Dropbox And Box To Office 365

As many businesses have started to transition towards online working environments to make working from anywhere easier for their employees. They have also started to transition towards using different applications to make online work effective and easier.

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What Is Dropbox And Why Do Businesses Use It?

One of the applications that businesses have started to use is Dropbox. Dropbox is a digital cloud storage that allows businesses to upload, store, share, and work collaboratively with all other employees. Dropbox has made it easier for employees to work remotely, from anywhere in the world.

In addition to making online work easier, Dropbox has also provided businesses with other benefits like easy and quick file sharing. It reduced risks of data loss and enhanced security over confidential files and data.

On the other hand, since Dropbox is not a Microsoft product, some companies have found it useful to migrate to Microsoft Office 365 to provide employees with access to numerous Microsoft applications such as Microsoft Word, Microsoft Sheets, Teams, SharePoint, etc.

To ensure the migration between Dropbox and Microsoft is secured, businesses have the option of contacting Microsoft Office 365 consultants to avoid obstacles during the connection process. Hence, when migrating from Dropbox to Microsoft Office 365, businesses are required to reach out to intermediaries to ensure a successful connection and avoid data loss.

Why Are Many Businesses Migrating From Dropbox To Office 365

Even though many companies have used Dropbox, after transitioning to Microsoft Office 365, they have realized that the benefits provided by Office 365 outweigh the benefits of Dropbox.

First, by using Microsoft 365, businesses have the option of working in a single environment. In other words, many businesses use Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, Microsoft Teams, SharePoint, etc. to complete their operations, using Office 365 has become a better option to store and collaborate in the same environment, avoiding going back and forth between other platforms.

Second, as most businesses have been using Microsoft products for years, using Office 365 has allowed employees to feel familiar with the tool’s features and options. It decreases the time it takes for them to become accustomed to new applications.

Additionally, Microsoft 365 operates on a centralized system, which has been beneficial for providing access to employees to certain features, managing employee accounts, and increasing protection and security.

Lastly, by migrating to Office 365, businesses will have better security over confidential files. The data as all of them will be stored in a single cloud platform and not shared within numerous ones. For instance, when sharing files between a Microsoft 365 environment and Dropbox, the files are at more risk of being leaked to the public. It can bring negative backlash to the brand name.

How To Achieve A Smooth Transition

When it comes to transitioning and migrating from Dropbox to Office 365, it is important to follow certain steps to avoid data loss:

1- Ensure to have access to all the data stored in Dropbox and Box

When preparing to transition to Office 365 from Dropbox and Box, it is important that those responsible for the migration process have full access to all company files and data – even if they are restricted and confidential. This will ensure businesses that no data will be lost during the transition.

However, to protect the confidentiality of the data, it is important to sign prior contracts when third party companies are responsible for the migration.

2- Choose the Office 365 plan that best fits for the company

Numerous Microsoft Office 365 plans are available for business – plans that revolve around the amount of available storage, access to types of applications, different types of features, etc.

Before transitioning to Office 365, businesses should decide on the best offered plan and subscribe to it.

3- Backup everything stored in Dropbox and Box to prepare for migration

Before migrating every file onto the Office 365 environment. It is important to back up everything in a safe place for some period of time. Saving data for some time will allow companies to go back to the stored files and retrieve data if a file has been bugged during the migration process.

4- Create a migration plan

Now that all the files that need to be transferred are backed-up. The Companies should come up with a migration plan that will not interfere with the business operations. It will allow the workflow to go as smoothly as possible.

5- Transfer all the data

Since the migration plan is drawn up, those responsible for the migration now can transfer the data and wait for it to complete. This step might take some time – it depends on the amount of data that needs to be transferred.

6- Ensure to train the employees with the new method

After everything is transferred and employees have their own accounts on the new Office 365 platform. Companies should consider conducting training sessions to train employees in the new work environment.

Conclusion

To conclude, even though Dropbox provides a safe cloud space for businesses. It lacks numerous features and applications that make the workflow easier for employees. Thus, businesses should consider migrating from Dropbox to Office 365 to take advantage of all the benefits.