Migrate PostMaster Email Server to Microsoft Office 365 Cloud
Any organization still using the self-managed PostMaster server is losing a lot of productivity by not being on the cloud. So it is not surprising that many of them put forward queries regarding how to migrate PostMaster email server to Microsoft Office 365 cloud. The reason for choosing this SAAS is simple; freedom from server management duties. So let us explore real-life situations that trigger such a move inside organizations.
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Scenarios that Warrant a Move Away from Postmaster and into Office 365
When the cloud was still a newly emerging technology, many organizations hesitated to let other people be in charge of critical data such as emails. However, over time, more and more organizations realize that the advantages of the cloud far outweigh any privacy concerns. This is also true for those on the PostMaster server; that’s why its users are leaving en masse.
Other than that, changes in business ownership, like after a merger or acquisition, maybe the cause. This will bring the entire workforce into a future-proof communication and collaboration environment like Office 365.
Nowadays organizations expect their infrastructure to be more than an email service. Not to mention the era of self-managed servers is behind us. So it is not a surprise when we say that the inbuilt app ecosystem of Microsoft 365 is leagues ahead of anything available in PostMaster. Being on the M365 cloud offers a lot more than just emailing ability. It allows organizations to store files via OneDrive, Communicate Via Teams, etc. This is on top of the widely acclaimed Word, PowerPoint, and Excel trio of business suite apps.
With the addition of a co-pilot organizations now have an omnipresent AI assistant to boost up their productivity to the next level.
Moreover, admins can justify and fully commit to a transfer by listing all the advantages of moving into the O365 environment. And there is no better way to reveal these upgrades than looking at a one-on-one comparison between the two. So that’s what we provide you.
PostMaster Enterprise Edition Vs Microsoft 365 E Series Plans
| Feature | PostMaster Enterprise Edition | Microsoft 365 E Series Plans |
| Server Type | On-Premise | Cloud-Based |
| IT Management | High | Low |
| Scalability | Manual (CALs) | Flexible Subscription Plans |
| Security | Requires Add-Ons | Built-in Features |
| Collaboration | Limited | Integrated Tools (Teams, OneDrive) |
| Accessibility | Network-Dependent | Accessible Anywhere |
| Updates and Features | Manual Upgrades | Automatic Updates |
| Cost | Software Purchase + Hardware Costs + Maintenance | Subscription Fee |
| Email Storage | Depends on Server Storage Capacity | Varies Depending on Plan (typically 50 GB – 1 TB per user) |
| Spam and Malware Filtering | Requires Add-Ons | Built-in |
| Data Encryption | Requires Add-Ons | Built-in (in transit and at rest) |
| Multi-Factor Authentication | Requires Add-Ons | Built-in |
| Calendar and Contacts | Limited Functionality (Add-Ons might be needed) | Integrated with Email (Outlook) |
| File Sharing and Storage | Requires Additional Software | Integrated Cloud Storage (OneDrive) |
| Video Conferencing | Requires Additional Software | Integrated Tools (Teams) |
| Document Collaboration | Limited Functionality (Add-Ons might be needed) | Integrated Tools (Word, Excel, PowerPoint Online) |
| Disaster Recovery | Requires Backup and Recovery Strategies | Built-in Redundancy and Backups (varies by plan) |
| Vendor Lock-in | High (Migration can be complex) | Lower (Data portability options) |
A PostMaster server is like Microsoft’s own on-premise Exchange offering. so you can compare hosted Exchange to Office 365 transfer and get an idea of what this process is going to look like. So now that the comparison is done and dusted, let’s see what options admins have to leave PostMaster.
Default Way for PostMaster to Microsoft Office 365 Transfer
Microsoft allows a manual-style IMAP migration. However, before you begin:
Complete prerequisites-
Compare Office 365 plans and select a suitable one.
Add domain in Microsoft 365
- Visit M365 admin center > Setup.
- Go to “Get your custom domain set up” > click View > Manage > Add domain.
- Type the domain name and press > Next.
- Visit your domain registrar > Next.
- Setup domain services.
- Click Next > Authorize > Next > Finish.
Create users in the Admin Center:
- Users > Active Users > Add multiple Users.
- On the Add List of User page mark the box next to “ I’d like to upload a CSV with user information”
- Download, Fill, and Upload the CSV > Next.
- Select Licenses > Add Users
Complete Steps to Manually Migrate PostMaster Email Server to Microsoft Office 365
Step 1. Look for the PostMaster IMAP Server name via the Account Settings of the email client.
Step 2. Prepare a CSV list for all members of the source server. It should contain a name, email address, and password. If passwords are unavailable, use admin credentials and a dummy password, which can be reset later on.
Step 3. Establish a link between the source PostMaster server and Microsoft 365
- Visit EAC > Select Migration.
- From the top right corner select Endpoints
- Press Add New
- Pick IMAP as the type and name it appropriately.
- Keep the rest of the settings as it is and hit Create.
Step 4. Build a PostMaster Email Server to Microsoft Office 365 migration batch
- Login EAC > Migration > Add-Migration batch
- Enter your name and Pick Exchange Online from dropdown > Next.
- Pick IMAP as the type > Next.
- See if Prerequisites are complete > Next.
- Select Endpoint for Migration > Next.
- To Add Users Download Fill & Upload the CSV list > Next.
- Configure Exceptions or Inclusions> Next.
- Schedule the migration > Next > Save > Done.
Step 5. Once the Migration status changes to Completed ask users to log in and verify if the PostMaster emails appear in their accounts.
Step 6. Change DNS settings stop email sync and delete the migration batch.
Why Many Consider Traditional PostMaster Email Server to Microsoft Office 365 Migration to be Problematic?
- As it requires an admin to pre-create M365 mailboxes manually. Any mistakes made during this process can cause endpoint migration issues.
- Errors in CSV formation can cause migration to fail. So admins have to recreate the entire CSV from scratch which can be quite the burden with organizations with thousands of user mailboxes.
- Asking users for passwords brings about privacy concerns. Even a small mistake can grow and cause the admins to land in legal hot water.
It might be possible to troubleshoot these issues but there is no denying that it is going to take up precious productivity hours. Rather than spending time fixing an approach, it is better to rely on something that eliminates troubleshooting needs.
Best Way to Change a PostMaster Setup to Microsoft 365
If you have direct access to the mailbox data, then you can very well use the SysTools Office 365 Import tool. This tool can place all the user emails into their intended location. With the help of admin credentials organizations can bypass the need for user credentials altogether. Using its date filter, we can adjust how much of the user mailbox data is going to go into the cloud. Moreover, the Fetch option here allows the admin to pull the user list automatically. This can then be used to create users, eliminating any manual errors that occur while using CSV. So without further ado, here are the steps to use this utility.
Automated Procedure to Place Postmaster Mailboxes into the Cloud
- On your workstation, open the software and pick File System for user EML data and Office 365 as the origin and target, respectively.
- In the Workload section, uncheck all boxes except Email, and apply the Date Filter to specify the time interval from which the data is pulled. Click Next
- Then, in the Source screen, enter your PostMaster user email folder path and click Validate. Then click Next.
- Destination Dashboard is where you have to Validate the Office 365 credentials, including Admin Email and Application Identification Number. Click on Next.
- User mapping area press the Fetch button to automatically pull all user mailbox lists. Otherwise, you can also add the CSV list with the Import button.
- Finally when the user list appears in the Preview screen mark the boxes next to the name to select it for the Import. Hit the star icon to assign priority to a specific set of users. Validate and Start Import.
Uploading the EML data is not the only way with which admins can automate their exit from PostMaster. We have a full-fledged SysTools IMAP to Office 365 Migration utility that can bypass the need for user mailbox locations. Given below is the procedure for using the tool.
Steps to Migrate PostMaster Email Server to Microsoft Office 365 With a Tool
- Launch the tool and select IMAP as the Source and Office 365 as the Destination
- Then, select the Emails Workload, which unlocks the Date Filter choose a specific time duration if you want, or continue with the default.
- Toggle the IMAP Server dropdown and select Other. Type the URL, and the Port number, then Press Validate. Wait for validation to complete, then Press Next.
- Inside the Destination screen, put your Admin Email Address and the App ID. Validate and press Next.
- On the user mapping screen, upload the User CSV list via the Import button.
- Once the Users are visible on the preview screen use this opportunity to filter users and assign priority. Validate your selections and Press Start.
Also Read: If you are performing data transfer to Office 365, then it is recommended to go through the complete Office 365 migration checklist to ensure data security and integrity throughout the entire process.
Conclusion
In this write-up, we gave instructions on how to migrate PostMaster email server to Microsoft Office 365 environment. We made readers realize how it was advantageous to move into the O365 cloud and why PostMaster is a relic from a bygone era. Moreover, we outlined the tutorial that admins can follow to bring their user mailboxes into Microsoft’s SAAS. Although the manual method is available, admins can save a lot of time and effort by using the professional alternatives.