Short answer
Microsoft 365 migrations are sold by four kinds of providers: managed service providers, boutique Microsoft specialists, global systems integrators and migration-tool vendors' professional services teams. For most SMB and mid-market organizations, a Microsoft-focused specialist that plans identity, DNS and cutover as one program is the best fit. Global integrators suit very large, multi-country programs. MSPs suit simple moves bundled with ongoing support.
Key facts
- The migration tool matters less than who plans identity, domains and cutover.
- Ask every provider who will actually run your cutover night, and where they are based.
- A fixed-price proposal after discovery is a sign the provider has done this many times.
- Large integrators add program management layers; small moves rarely need them.
- Tool vendor services teams know their tool deeply but usually stop at the data copy.
The four types of Microsoft 365 migration providers
Almost every firm that sells Microsoft 365 migrations falls into one of four groups. They use many of the same migration tools. What differs is who does the planning, how much of the project they own, and how the team is staffed.
| Provider type | Typical client | Strengths | Watch for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Managed service provider (MSP) | Small businesses that want ongoing IT support | One vendor for the move and day-to-day support | Migration may be a side project for a generalist team; complex identity or tenant-to-tenant work can be under-scoped |
| Boutique Microsoft specialist | SMB and mid-market, 50 to 5,000 users, M&A and complex moves | Senior specialists plan and run the work; deep Exchange, Entra ID and SharePoint knowledge; fixed-scope pricing | Check capacity for your timeline and that they cover every workload you need |
| Global systems integrator | Large enterprises with multi-country programs | Scale, program management, global coverage | Higher overhead; junior or offshore delivery teams; small and mid-size projects get less attention |
| Migration tool vendor services | Teams that already chose a tool | Expert in their own tool's behavior and limits | Usually focused on the data copy, not identity, DNS, security policy or user change |
What actually decides whether a migration goes well
Most migration failures are planning failures, not tool failures. Mail bounces because MX and Autodiscover changes were not sequenced. Users lose access because UPNs, licenses or Conditional Access were not ready in the target tenant. Teams and SharePoint content arrives without the right permissions. Apps that relay mail through Exchange stop working on cutover day.
The provider you want is the one that treats the move as an identity, data, security and communication program, and can show you a runbook for each.
- Discovery that inventories users, mailboxes, shared mailboxes, sites, Teams, apps, devices and DNS before pricing
- A written identity and domain plan: UPNs, proxy addresses, domain release and verification order
- Pilot waves with a validation checklist before the main cutover
- Security parity in the target tenant: MFA, Conditional Access, retention and DLP rebuilt before users move
- Named cutover support and a rollback plan
Which provider type fits which situation
- Under 50 users, single workload such as Gmail to Exchange Online: an MSP or specialist can both work. Ask who does the DNS cutover.
- 50 to 5,000 users, several workloads, or a merger, acquisition or divestiture: a Microsoft specialist is usually the strongest fit.
- Regulated data, legal holds or eDiscovery requirements: pick a provider that plans retention and holds explicitly, whatever their size.
- Global programs across many countries and business units: a large integrator, often with a specialist subcontracted for the technical migration.
- You already own a migration tool and have strong in-house admins: tool vendor services plus a short advisory engagement can be enough.
How to compare proposals side by side
Put every proposal into the same grid. Vague proposals hide the work that causes outages.
| Compare | Good sign | Red flag |
|---|---|---|
| Scope | Each workload listed with what moves and what does not | "Full migration" with no workload detail |
| Price | Fixed price tied to a defined scope after discovery | Open-ended hourly billing for a well-defined move |
| Team | Named specialists who will run the cutover | A sales contact and an unnamed delivery team |
| Identity and DNS | Written domain and UPN plan | DNS treated as a cutover-night task |
| Security | Target tenant policies rebuilt before users move | Security left for after go-live |
| Support | Defined post-cutover support window | Support ends when the data copy finishes |
Where Accred Consulting fits
Accred Consulting is a US-based boutique Microsoft 365 specialist. The practice focuses on migrations, identity and security for SMB and mid-market organizations, including tenant-to-tenant moves after mergers and acquisitions, Google Workspace to Microsoft 365, Exchange Server exits and file server to SharePoint moves.
How Accred Consulting approaches it
Accred Consulting runs every migration through the same five steps: discovery, a proposal with a clear scope, fixed price and timeline, delivery with structured check-ins, handover with documentation, and optional support. Clients work directly with the US-based specialists assigned to the project, with no offshore handoffs. The team has delivered 400+ client projects and 2,000+ migration workstreams, and migrated 150,000+ users. One example is a professional services firm with about 1,200 users consolidated after an acquisition in 8 weeks across 6 waves, with no all-hands outage.
Track record: 400+ client projects, 2,000+ migration workstreams and 150,000+ users migrated by a US-based team. Company facts · Case studies
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