2018-04-25

Kelly Berlin: “Hi. I am the Global administrator of the company. We were using Lotus Notes since 1 year. But, now due to some technical issues, we want to move from NSF to O365. Please, can anyone suggest me any third-party tool? Also, tell me about IMAP migration from Lotus Notes to Office 365. Thanks in advance. Any lead will be greatly appreciated.”

Are you also suffering from the same problem? Does the query seem familiar to you? If yes, then do not worry. The post describes the perfect and hassle-free solution for IBM Notes to Office 365 conversion. Until the end of the write-up, all your doubts will be cleared. So, keep reading.

Causes Which Lead Any User to Migrate Domino to O365

  1. The factors which lead any user to switch from Lotus Notes to the Microsoft Office 365 are listed below:
  2. The maintenance cost of Lotus Notes is more as compared to O365
  3. The Exchange Online has a plenty of constructive features for business
  4. Technical knowledge is required to use IBM Notes
  5. Lotus Notes has a sharp learning curve
  6. The environment of Office 365 is less expensive as compared to IBM Notes

Steps for IMAP Migration From Lotus Notes to Office 365

To export NSF file, the users can transfer their data with the help of IMAP connector. Broadly classifying, the entire procedure can be performed in 4 major steps:
Step 1: Take Backup of NSF File
It is needed to take backup of NSF data before exporting it to O365 account. It should be done with utmost care because the data can become inaccessible if any loss occurs. No manual technique is completely reliable. Mishappening can occur at any point while Domino to O365 migration.
Step 2: Create New Mailboxes
To switch from Lotus Notes to O365, create a new mailbox for each and every user which possesses already existing profile in Lotus Notes
Step 3: Enable IMAP Port for all the users
In this step, it is needed to activate IMAP configuration for the users. Follow the given set of instructions to perform IMAP migration from Lotus Notes to Office 365

  • Launch Domino administrator in IBM Notes
  • Then, select configuration tab
  • Run the server document which executes the IMAP service
  • Switch to Ports, followed by Internet Ports and then, Mail tab
  • Activate the default IMAP TCP/IP port. To do this, modify the “TCP/IP port value status” to “Enabled” present in the IMAP column.
  • Finally, hit the Save button and then, Exit

Step 4: Establish a Connection With IMAP Connector
In the last step, it is required to utilize IMAP connector to sync emails to the Exchange Online account from IBM Notes. After the execution of all these 4 steps, a user can sync Lotus Notes with Office 365. Even though the manual is an effective technique, still some limitations are involved with it. These are discussed in the next section.

Drawbacks of the Manual Procedure

Some of the limitations faced by the user while performing IMAP migration from Lotus Notes to Office 365 are mentioned below:

  • In case, IBM Notes is behind a Firewall or Proxy, it cannot secure stable connection with the Internet.
  • IMAP connection will not be allowed if Lotus Notes is in a deactivated state.
  • The IMAP connector will move only online data into Office 365 account.
  • The file size limitation is imposed by the tool. It can export emails of maximum 1GB in size.
  • The shortcomings of the manual approach make it inefficient for exporting the data from IBM Notes to Exchange Online.
  • Hence, another solution is also proposed in the upcoming section.

Alternative Solution: With the Help of Automated Tool

The workaround approach for email migration from Domino to O365 is not preferred by many users. Therefore, an alternative option can also be used. It is done with the help of an automated tool like Lotus Notes to Office 365 migrator. According to the experts, it is the best possible solution to switch from IBM Notes to Office 365. It yields very efficient results in the least time. The look-and-feel of the product is so simple that even a non-technical person can use it without any problem.

The Bottom Line

IMAP Migration from Lotus Notes to Office 365 produces a lot of difficulties. But, it can be performed with ease when an automated tool comes at a glance. The user can move the .nsf mailbox of any size from IBM Notes to Exchange Online. The professional tool offers some amazing benefits to the users. Hence, it is a recommended choice.

About the author 

Lily Martin