Enabling a Cloud Migration for a Top London University

Background

A prestigious London university, founded in 1785 and serving over 32,000 students in the 2023/2024 academic year, approached Technimove for consultation services. Their goal was to migrate 1,500 users from Dropbox to Microsoft 365 as part of their digital transformation strategy.

The institution required expert guidance to ensure a smooth transition while addressing budgetary, security, and operational constraints.

They engaged Technimove for a three-day feasibility and discovery exercise to establish the foundation for their migration.

The Challenge

The university faced several challenges that needed to be addressed before commencing the migration:

Complex User Base: The migration involved 1,097 Dropbox enterprise accounts, each with unique usage patterns and requirements.

Security Restrictions: Strict policies prohibited the involvement of third-party vendors in data handling, as some accounts were linked to personal data.

Budget Constraints: The university’s need for cost-effective solutions required careful planning and resource allocation.

Technimove’s task was to conduct a feasibility study and propose a comprehensive migration roadmap while aligning with the university’s stringent requirements.

Technimove’s Approach

Technimove’s feasibility analysis focused on the following core objectives:

Understanding the Landscape

• Reviewed the current Dropbox and Microsoft 365 configurations, including OneDrive, Teams, and SharePoint.
• Assessed tenant permissions and connectivity between the two platforms.

Risk Mitigation

• Identified potential risks and provided tailored recommendations and workarounds.
• Ensured proposed solutions aligned with budgetary constraints and timescales.

Developing a Migration Framework

• Analysed 1,097 users to establish migration criteria and validate the university’s existing plans.
• Designed a Proof-of-Concept (PoC) plan for the initial migration phase.
• Created an end-to-end roadmap for migrating all users, including defined roles and responsibilities for internal and external stakeholders.

Engagement Highlights

Technimove’s two-day engagement included workshops, hands-on review activities, and the creation of a feasibility output document. Key activities were as follows:

Day 1: Workshops and Review

Workshop 1

• Reviewed Dropbox and Microsoft 365 configurations.
• Discussed permission requirements for conducting user scans.
• Hands-On Activities
• Validated tenant permissions.
• Conducted connectivity tests between Dropbox and Microsoft 365.
• Scanned and analysed Dropbox accounts to produce actionable insights.

Workshop 2

• Presented findings from the scan.
• Finalised the PoC migration plan for 1,097 users.
• Discussed a high-level roadmap for migrating all users.

Day 2/3: Feasibility Output Document

• Delivered a detailed feasibility report, including:
• Feasibility findings and risk assessments.
• PoC migration plan for the 1,097 users.
• Comprehensive roadmap for the complete migration.
• Recommendations for aligning internal and external resources.

Conclusion

This project highlights Technimove’s expertise in delivering tailored consultation services that enable clients to achieve their digital transformation goals.

By collaborating with a top London university, we showcased our ability to provide flexible and effective solutions for complex IT challenges.