Google Workspace Migration for Melbourne Businesses

The most common reasons we hear from Melbourne businesses: practice management software compatibility (LEAP, Smokeball, and most legal and accounting platforms integrate deeply with Microsoft 365 and not Google Workspace), cyber insurance requirements (many insurers now require Microsoft 365 Business Premium and its security controls), client-facing document compatibility (receiving and editing Word and Excel files in Google's converted format creates friction that compounds over time), and Microsoft Teams as the collaboration standard (particularly for businesses working with larger organisations that have standardised on Teams). The reverse migration — Microsoft 365 to Google Workspace — is rarer but happens when a business is acquired by a Google-first organisation or when specific Google products (particularly Google Workspace for Education, or businesses deeply integrated with Google Ads and Analytics) are compelling.

Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides are stored in Google's proprietary formats — they do not exist as .docx, .xlsx, or .pptx files. During migration, we convert them to their Office equivalents. The conversion is not always perfect: complex Google Sheets with custom functions, Google Slides with non-standard layouts, and Google Docs with embedded content may require review after conversion. We flag conversion issues during the pilot phase so your team knows what to expect and which files need manual attention. For businesses with large numbers of Google files, we prioritise the active, business-critical files for conversion and archive older content.

A Google Workspace to Microsoft 365 migration for a Melbourne business of 10–50 users typically takes 3–6 weeks from assessment to cutover. The timeline includes: 1 week for environment assessment and Microsoft 365 tenant setup, 1–2 weeks for pilot migration (5–10 representative users to validate the migration approach), 1–2 weeks for full email and Drive migration in the background while Google Workspace continues operating, and a scheduled DNS cutover weekend. Staff training runs in parallel with the migration so your team is ready when the switch happens.

Yes — this is specifically how we structure the migration. We set up Microsoft 365 and begin migrating email and files in the background while Google Workspace continues operating normally. Email flows to both platforms during the parallel period. Staff can begin familiarising themselves with Microsoft 365 before the cutover without disrupting their current workflow. The DNS cutover — the moment email stops flowing to Google and starts flowing only to Microsoft 365 — happens in a scheduled window once everything is validated. Most staff experience the transition as arriving to a new email platform on a Monday morning with all their history already there.

Google Meet is replaced by Microsoft Teams in a Microsoft 365 environment. Teams provides equivalent video calling functionality with the addition of persistent team channels, deeper Microsoft 365 integration (Teams meetings appear in Outlook calendar, Teams files are stored in SharePoint), and — for Melbourne businesses with clients and counterparties on Microsoft 365 — no cross-platform friction for meeting invitations. We include Microsoft Teams setup and configuration in the migration scope and train your team on Teams as part of the adoption programme.

A Google Workspace to Microsoft 365 migration for a Melbourne SMB of 10–25 users typically costs $3,500–$7,500 as a fixed-price project, depending on the volume of email history to migrate, the complexity of Google Drive content, and the scope of the staff training programme. Microsoft 365 licensing (from approximately $22–$33 per user per month for Business Standard or Business Premium) replaces your Google Workspace subscription. We provide a migration cost proposal and a Microsoft 365 licensing cost model before any commitment. For businesses concerned about the cost, we typically find that the Microsoft 365 Business Premium licence covers security features that were previously purchased separately under Google Workspace, reducing the net licence cost increase.

For most Melbourne professional services businesses migrating from Google Workspace, Microsoft 365 Business Premium is the right choice. Business Premium adds Microsoft Defender for Business (endpoint protection), Microsoft Intune (device management), and Entra ID P1 (Conditional Access and advanced identity management) — features that Business Standard lacks. The additional cost is approximately $15 AUD per user per month over Business Standard. For a 20-person Melbourne business, this is $300 per month — significantly less than purchasing equivalent security tools separately. We recommend Business Premium as the default for any business handling client data, with Business Standard appropriate only for businesses with very simple requirements and no compliance obligations.

Yes, though this migration path is less common. The approach mirrors the Google-to-Microsoft migration: email history migration from Exchange Online to Gmail, SharePoint and OneDrive content transferred to Google Shared Drives, calendar and contacts migration, and a staff training programme on Google Workspace. The technical challenges are different — SharePoint permissions do not map cleanly to Google Shared Drive permissions, and the Microsoft Office document format conversion to Google Docs requires similar attention to the reverse. CX IT Services manages this migration path for Melbourne businesses where the business case for Google Workspace is genuine, without a preference for either platform.