Google Vault to Office 365 Migration Everything You Need to Know

Direct migration of Google Vault to Office 365 is not possible natively. The manual method involves exporting Google Vault data (ideally as PST) and importing it to Office 365. Alternatively, an automated tool simplifies this, offering a direct, multi-stage process for a smoother, more efficient migration.

Lack of a direct bridge to conduct a Google Vault to Office 365 migration is a major hurdle for admins. A possible manual alternative is to download the Google Vault data in its default format(MBOX). Convert the said files (MBOX to PST) into an Office 365 acceptable format. Then, import the Portable Storage Tables into the M365 cloud.

However, there’s a shortcut method that combines these 3 stages into a single unified process. Before we discuss what that alternative is, let us check the feature set of Google Vault. We do this to ensure that there is no hidden function that can carry out a direct transfer, saving us all sorts of trouble.

What Features Does Google Vault Have to Offer?

• Archiving Emails and Chat

The user can customize the rules of retention. This lets you specify the retention period for emails and chats. Moreover, the admin can select the exact date to remove the user’s data.

• Searching Drive File

By using Vault, Google lets users search Drive results, including external file types, such as JPG, DOCX, PDF, etc.

• Searching Emails

This is the most powerful function and the most preferred feature useful in email investigations. With this, the user/investigator can search the particular email account, date, or keyword. Also, Google Vault supports Gmail-based Boolean searches and wild-card operators.

• Export

This is the feature that we will put to use to perform a Google Vault migration to Office 365. We export the search results of archived emails to a specific file format.

Now that we understand Google Vault’s features, let’s look at why users want to migrate away from it.

Reasons for Migrating Google Vault to Office 365

There are several reasons behind this operation, such as:

• Unified ecosystem integration with Office 365’s suite of applications.
• Enhanced collaboration tools such as Teams, SharePoint, and real-time co-authoring.
• Familiarity with Microsoft’s interface and tools for streamlined user adoption.
• Robust security features, compliance tools, and advanced threat protection.
• Access to advanced productivity tools like Power BI, Power Automate, and Dynamics 365.
• Scalability and customizable subscription plans catering to varied business needs.
• Simplification through the consolidation of services and reduced maintenance costs.
• Google Vault migration to O365 gives access to the support & resources of the destination platform.
• Seamless integration with existing on-premises Microsoft infrastructure.
• Continuous updates and a future roadmap for ongoing advancements and innovations.

Now, let’s understand the different ways to migrate Google Vault to Office 365.

Different Techniques for Google Vault to Office 365 Migration 

There are multiple methods present to facilitate the migration of data from Google Vault to Office 365. Users can either choose a manual approach, which is time-consuming and tiring, or opt for an automated professional approach. Let’s discuss both approaches step by step in the coming sections.

Method: 1 – Manual Steps for Google Vault to Office 365 Migration

The steps to migrate Google Vault to Office 365 manually are as follows:

1. Export the Google Vault in PST file format.
2. Import Outlook data file to Office 365.

Part 1. Export the Google Vault

Here, the user must perform the following steps mentioned below:

• Step 1. Open the Google Vault account and click on Matters.
• Step 2. Tap Create to make a new matter for Google Vault to M365 migration.
• Step 3. Type in a suitable name(GV-O365) and hit Create.
• Step 4. Select Gmail for email-only export.
• Step 5. Choose a data source from the dropdown options, including all data, held data, and unprocessed data.
• Step 6. Within the Entry tab, you can select any one of the following: All accounts, specific accounts, or organisational units for export.
• Step 7. Input the targeted email address for export data, apply filters if needed, and click Search.
• Step 8. Review your email data and select Save to proceed.
• Step 9. Assign a name to the Save Query and confirm by clicking Ok.
• Step 10. Use the Count option to tally the emails and mailboxes.
• Step 11. Press Export.
• Step 12. Give a name to this exported file from Google Vault.
• Step 13. You can continue with the default MBOX format or choose PST, the saving format, from the dropdown menu. Choosing PST here allows you to skip over the file format conversion stage.
• Step 14. Press Download to get the Google Vault data in an acceptable M365 format.
  

Step 2. Import Intermediate File to Office 365

Outlook PST files can be imported to the Office 365 drive using the shipping or network upload, or even with the help of the classic Outlook client.

Note: If you are looking to migrate through the manual way, then it is recommended to go through these points for successful migration:

• Data Verification – Since the manual method does not provide you with any report of migration. Hence, you should perform thorough data verification to ensure the integrity of the transferred data from Google Vault to Office 365, Once the migration is completed.
• Backup Strategies – In the manual method you do not get any retry or re-run migration option. Therefore, you should implement backup strategies before, during, and after migration to mitigate potential data loss risks.
• User Training – As the manual method involves the human interface, therefore you should provide user training and support to ensure a smooth transition and utilization of Office 365 features.

Conclusion

Migrating from Google Vault to Office 365 offers an evolution toward a unified, collaborative, and secure ecosystem. Additionally, the users can leverage Microsoft’s familiar interface, advanced tools, and robust security features.

The manual process for performing this change of platforms involves a manual export + import mechanism. If you want a fast and easy way to view the Vault data in Office 365, use the tool. It overcomes all the limitations of the manual method and gives an error-free result.