Kerio

How to Migrate Kerio Connect to Office 365? 3 Easy Methods

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Are you looking to migrate Kerio Connect to Office 365? The main step to follow for a successful process is selecting a proper migration method. The specific choice depends on the type of data to be moved in each case.

For example, Microsoft’s IMAP tool provides users with the ability to easily move their emails but does not let them transfer contacts, calendars or tasks. Moreover, it imposes quite strict limits that allow sending only up to 35 MB per email with the maximum number of 500,000 items. If users want to migrate entire mailbox data or multiple accounts, then they need to select a different method to prevent data loss, save time and manual efforts. After successfully migrating data from Kerio Connect to Office 365, it is also crucial to change the DNS settings of the domain.

Quick Answer: How to Migrate Kerio to Office 365?

Commonly, there are three typical methods available to migrate Kerio Connect to Office 365:

Method 1: Microsoft 365 IMAP Tool: It can transfer only emails from Kerio to Microsoft 365. This is a free manual option, however, it does not support migrating contacts and calendars.

Method 2: Microsoft Outlook (PST Export): Allows transferring smaller data. Users can save Kerio data as a PST file and import it manually to Microsoft 365.

Method 3: Dedicated Kerio to Microsoft 365 Migration Tool: The best option for companies performing large data migrations from Kerio to Office 365. For example, BitRecover Kerio to Office 365 migration tool easily transfers multiple users and entire Kerio data to Office 365 including emails, attachments, contacts, calendars, tasks and other folders in bulk.

Kerio Connect vs. Microsoft 365

Reasons to Migrate Kerio Connect to Microsoft 365

• Microsoft 365 provides cloud-based email, collaboration, identity, administration, and security capabilities, with available features depending on the selected subscription plan.
• Microsoft 365 brings services such as Outlook, Teams, OneDrive and SharePoint together under one cloud-based platform.
• Cloud-based Microsoft 365 services reduce the need to maintain traditional on-premises email infrastructure and can make it easier to manage users and services as business requirements change.
• Microsoft’s 365 plans can include security and compliance capabilities such as multi-factor authentication, spam and malware protection, data loss prevention, and other administrative controls, depending on the license.
• Centralized administration, user management, and policy controls can help IT teams manage Microsoft 365 mailboxes and services from cloud-based administration portals.

How to Migrate Kerio to Microsoft 365 (3 Methods)

In the following, we have explained different methods with step-by-step instructions to migrate from Kerio Connect to Office 365:

Method 1. Using Microsoft 365 IMAP Migration (Emails Only)

Microsoft’s IMAP migration feature is an ideal option if you want to move your emails and folder structures from Kerio Connect to Microsoft 365. Please note that this method only moves emails, not other elements, such as contacts, calendar entries, or tasks.

1. Turn on IMAP: Enable IMAP through the Kerio control panel and save the server connection settings.
2. Create Accounts: Set up and authorize the target email boxes within Microsoft 365.
3. Create CSV Document: Use a three-column spreadsheet to link the accounts: Microsoft 365 email address, Kerio Username and Kerio Password.
4. Create Connection: Set up IMAP Migration Endpoint in the Exchange Control Center by configuring the settings of your Kerio server.
5. Create Batch: Generate a new IMAP migration batch along with uploading your CSV document.
6. Start and Monitor: Launch the migration process and monitor it through the control panel until the emails are sent without issues.
7. Change Email Forwarding: Change your MX records of the domain to forward all incoming emails directly to Microsoft 365.

Method 2. Manual Export via Microsoft Outlook

Follow these steps to transfer a small amount of data from Kerio to Office 365 using classic Microsoft Outlook with Kerio Outlook Connector. With this method, users can migrate Kerio Connect emails, events, contacts, and tasks to Microsoft 365.

1. Install the Kerio Outlook Connector: Download and install the Kerio Outlook Connector properly and configure the Kerio Connect account in Microsoft Outlook. After that, it is important to allow all the required folders and items to synchronize.
2. Open Outlook: Start Outlook and click on the File menu from the top menu bar to migrate Kerio to Office 365.
   
3. Open the Import/Export: Click on the Open & Export option from the left pane and then select Import/Export option.
   
4. Export to PST: Choose the Export to a file option and select Outlook Data File (.pst).
   
5. Select the Required Files: Select the respective mailbox folders you want to export and complete the PST export procedure.
   
6. Add Microsoft 365 to Outlook: After completing the process, add the Microsoft 365 account in the same Outlook setup.
7. Import the PST: Use Import/Export wizard in Outlook to import the PST data into a Microsoft 365 mailbox.

When it comes to PST-based migration on a larger scale, Microsoft has also offered a PST Import workflow specifically designed for the administrator’s use. Administrators can utilize the AzCopy tool to transfer PST files to the Azure Storage site set up by Microsoft, produce a PST Import mapping CSV, and file the PST Import task in the Microsoft Purview portal. Unlike PST imports through Outlook, this workflow is dedicated to the administrator’s usage.

Key Benefits of Using Kerio Connect to Microsoft 365 Migration Tool

• Removes Technical Difficulty: It makes it easy to avoid the long and complicated PST export process.
• Complete Data Transfer: All objects in the mailboxes are transferred without problems, for example emails, attachments, files, contacts, calendars, tasks, and notes.
• Batch Migration Capability: You can easily transfer several Kerio accounts to Office 365 which saves a lot of time.
• Easy to Use: It has a simple interface so both novice and experienced IT specialists will be able to work with the program easily.
• No Data Loss: It guarantees exactly that no urgent information will be lost in the process of migration.
• Selective Filters: It has effective filters that allow you to choose which specific information and folders to migrate.
• Secure Login: It works through the Microsoft Graph API and provides a safe authorization in Microsoft 365 as an administrator.

Conclusion

Users can migrate Kerio Connect to Office 365 using Microsoft’s built-in IMAP process, standard Outlook with Kerio Outlook Connector, or a special tool designed for Kerio to Office 365 migration purposes. Using IMAP, you can only transfer emails from Kerio to Office 365 and there are certain restrictions related to its use, including restrictions on the number of items in the mailbox, which cannot exceed 500,000 items, and a maximum size of the message, which should not exceed 35 MB. PST-based migration using Outlook can transfer all Kerio items to Office 365 but they require technical expertise, time and manual effort. To overcome all the challenges, BitRecover provides a one-stop solution to safely migrate all data and multiple users from Kerio Connect to Microsoft 365 accounts using a secure OAuth connection.