An Analysis of the Microsoft 365 Cloud Migration Process, its Alternatives, and Results

This study follows the decision making process of comparing a traditional business software stack to cloud alternatives, comparing different cloud platforms, and planning a migration. It addresses specific workloads of an example company in the financial services industry and how the tools in a Microsoft 365 subscription support that work. The process of transferring an existing Exchange server and its users to Azure is thoroughly detailed, as is the logic behind certain crucial decisions that are part of that procedure. A calculation of real-world savings is also provided. The resulting paper is usable as both a reference and guide for making responsible plans on the subject of cloud migratio