How to migrate e-mails

Need to move to a more reliable, cheaper email service provider? Need to migrate that an old Yahoo account to Gmail to get more storage? Want to move mailboxes from IMAP to Exchange Server? This artcicle is about migrating your email accounts in record time. We'll show you different options - from do-it yourself to more advanced enterprise-level solutions.

You should start by gathering a few facts:

- What type of system will you migrate to and from (ex: IMAP, Gmail, Exchange)?
- Besides e-mails, do you need to also migrate tasks, contacts or appointments?
- How many mailboxes do you need to migrate - and how big are they?
- Do you know all server endpoints, e-mail addresses and credentials?

For example, to connect to an IMAP server, you should know the server name (ex: imap.company.com) and port (ex: 143). The picture below shows what is supported by each protocol. For example, IMAP migrations can only migrate emails - but not tasks, contacts, or appointments. However, Exchange migrations support more item types.

Do you need a simple or an Enterprise migration solution?

You're more likely to require an Enterprise migration solution if you:
- Need to migrate more than 10 mailboxes
- Need a way to perform administrative logins to mailboxes
- Need to migrate from or to Exchange or Google Apps
- Need to migrate contacts, appointments, or tasks
- Need to understand which items failed to migrate and why
- Need a way to perform multi-pass (delta) migrations
- Need a way to monitor migrations and get reports / statistics
- Need advanced options such as folder or date filtering
- Are ready to pay to ensure a faster or more reliable migration
- Want product support beyond a self-help user forum

Once you're ready for your migration, you need to select a migration method:
1. Use PST import / export using Outlook
2. Use open source command line tools
3. Use a paid on-premise migration solution
4. Use a paid cloud-based migration solution

One advantage of PST import / exports is that they are entirely free and can migrate almost everything. One major issue however is that all emails become unrepliable after import. This happens because Outlook stores recipient information using IDs which become meaningless after migration. Another issue is that PST imports are labor-intensive, slow, and so not adequate for most enterprise migrations.

Another option is to use do-it yourself scripts or tools. These may do a reasonable job of migrating content between IMAP accounts but no other protocol is supported. Keep in mind that this tool assumes you're familiar with command-line utilities and the Linux shell. Also this makes sense only if you have a small amount of data to migrate and can dedicate computers to run migrations.

For enterprise-ready migration solutions, you may want to consider an on-premise migration solution. Several companies offer tools which can help you migrate entire sets of mailboxes in a semi-automatic manner. These tools can handle complex migration scenarios but must be downloaded and installed on local computers. They often require the purchase of an expensive base license in addition to per-mailbox fees.

A final option is to use a cloud-based migration solution. While good connectivity to the Internet is a must, these solutions require no installation and typically only require a small per-mailbox fee. Cloud-based migration solutions such a www.MigrationWiz.com include enterprise features found in most on-premise solutions. Due to their simplicity, they can also be used by individuals looking to migrate a single mailbox.