Microsoft 365 Migrations in Wichita: Typical Timeline, Cost, and Gotchas (2026)

TL;DR 

Typical timeline: 

• 10 users: 2–3 weeks (including planning & training) 
• 35 users: 4–6 weeks 
• 75 users: 6–9 weeks (plus phased cutovers)

Ballpark costs (services only, licenses extra): 

• 10 users: $3k-$5k 
• 35 users: $10k-$15k 
• 75 users: $20k-$30k 

Top Wichita gotchas:

• DNS change windows with local ISPs
• Mailbox throttling
• Mixed file shares + OneDrive/SharePoint
• MFA cutovers
• Legacy line-of-business integrations.

These are illustrative ranges—final scope depends on your data volume, compliance needs (HIPAA/CMMC), number of domains, and whether you require hybrid Exchange or tenant-to-tenant work. 

Who this guide is for 

• Wichita/Sedgwick County SMBs moving from Google Workspace, on-prem Exchange, IMAP, or another M365 tenant. 
• Teams in aerospace/manufacturing, healthcare/clinics, logistics, and nonprofit who need clear timelines, accurate budgets, and low-drama cutovers. 

Common migration scenarios (and how they change the plan) 

Google Workspace → M365 

• Complexity: Medium. Email, calendar, contacts migrate well; Drive → OneDrive/SharePoint needs thoughtful mapping. 
• Watch for: Google labels vs. Outlook folders, shared drives → SharePoint Sites, permission re-architecture. 

On-prem Exchange → M365 (cutover or hybrid) 

• Complexity: Medium–High. 
• Watch for: Public folders, legacy transport rules, large OST/PST, and hybrid coexistence if you need staged moves. 

IMAP/other → M365 

• Complexity: Low–Medium. 
• Watch for: IMAP only brings mail, not calendar/contacts; plan manual/CSV imports or third-party tooling. 

Tenant-to-Tenant (T2T) M365 

• Complexity: High. 
• Watch for: Vanity domain re-homing, Teams/SharePoint/Planner graph sprawl, OneDrive permissions, and downtime coordination. 

Wichita-specific context that impacts your timeline 

• Regulatory pressure: Aerospace suppliers field CMMC/NIST questions; clinics need HIPAA audit trails—bake security and evidence into the migration, not after. 
• Multi-site spread (Derby, Andover, Maize, Goddard): Stagger adoption workshops and device touchpoints by site to avoid support spikes. 

Timeline by company size (realistic, Wichita-friendly) 

10 users (2–3 weeks) 

• Week 1: Discovery, licensing, identity design (Entra ID), DNS review, pilot mailbox migration, security baseline. 
• Week 2: Bulk migration, Teams/SharePoint setup for 1–2 key departments, training sessions, cutover. 
• Buffer: 2–3 days for clean-up (mobile re-enroll, signatures, shared mailbox tweaks). 

35 users (4–6 weeks) 

• Phase 1 (1–2 weeks): Workshops, intake forms, mailbox inventory, Drive/Share mapping, pilot group (5–7 users). 
• Phase 2 (2–3 weeks): Wave-based mailbox moves, SharePoint Sites buildout, OneDrive move batches, conditional access testing. 
• Phase 3 (1 week): Cutover weekend + hypercare (Mon–Wed), decommissioning tasks. 

75 users (6–9 weeks) 

• Phase 1 (2 weeks): Coexistence/hybrid (if Exchange), domain strategy, Teams governance, pilot program (10–15 users). 
• Phase 2 (3–5 weeks): Departmental waves, SharePoint IA, automation (Intune, Autopilot, app packaging), change management. 
• Phase 3 (1–2 weeks): Staged cutovers (by site), extended hypercare, handover docs, security hardening. 

Cost components (how to build a sane budget) 

1. Licenses — Choose Business (Basic/Standard/Premium) or Enterprise (E3/E5); decide if Defender and email security are bundled. 
2. Professional services — Discovery & planning, mailbox/file moves, SharePoint/Teams setup, Intune, training, hypercare. 
3. Tooling — Migration tools, M365 backup, email security, eDiscovery. 
4. Change management — Comms plan, role-based training, office hours. 
5. Contingency (10–20%) — For throttling, DNS delays, or unexpected data sprawl. 

Step-by-step plan (high level) 

1. Discovery & Readiness 
   • Inventory domains, mailboxes, shared mailboxes, aliases, distribution lists, file shares/Drive, retention rules, and transport rules. 
   • Check DNS TTLs; reduce to 300–600 seconds one week before cutover. 
   • Decide MFA/Conditional Access posture before go-live. 
2. Identity & Security Baseline 
   • Sync or create users in Entra ID; map groups/roles. 
   • Enable MFA, baseline Conditional Access (block legacy auth, country controls if relevant). 
   • Configure Defender (if in plan), baseline Safe Links/Attachments. 
3. Pilot 
   • 5–10% of users across departments. Validate mailbox moves, calendar sharing, OneDrive mapping, Teams call flow, and mobile enrollment. 
4. Data Migration 
   • Email/calendars/contacts, then files: 
     • Home drives → OneDrive 
     • Shared drives/file shares → SharePoint Sites 
   • Apply retention labels/policies where required (HIPAA/CMMC evidence). 
5. Cutover 
   • DNS MX/SRV/SPF/DKIM changes (prefer Friday evening window). 
   • Reconfigure endpoints (Outlook profiles, mobile email), finalize Teams calling if used. 
6. Hypercare & Handover 
   • Floor support/office hours for 2–5 business days. 
   • Admin handoff: runbooks, governance, lifecycle, and DR/backup tests. 

The “gotchas” that blow up schedules (and how to avoid them) 

• DNS TTL too high: Changes take hours instead of minutes. Lower TTL a week in advance. 
• Microsoft throttling: Large moves stall. Run off-hours batches and split waves. 
• Calendar weirdness (Google → Outlook): Recurring events and shared calendars misbehave. Pilot and set expectations. 
• OneDrive/SharePoint permissions: Drive “folders” aren’t the same as Sites. Design information architecture first. 
• Shared mailboxes & send-as: Missed delegations cause day-1 chaos. Audit and recreate precisely. 
• Legacy scanners/MFPs: Still pointing at old SMTP. Update to M365 SMTP relay or app passwords (preferred: modern auth). 
• Transport rules & disclaimers: Rebuild in Exchange Online; confirm order of execution. 
• Mobile BYOD sprawl: Users have 2–3 devices each. Plan MDM/Intune or at least a guided re-enroll. 
• MFA flip timing: Turning it on during cutover floods support. Stage MFA with comms and backup methods beforehand. 
• PST/OST bloat: 10–20GB local caches slow first-run Outlook. Pre-seed or coach users on first-sync behavior. 

What actually moves? (quick matrix) 

Acceptance criteria checklist (use this to declare success) 

• All MX/SRV/DKIM/SPF records validated; mail flow stable for 48 hours. 
• Users can send/receive, access calendars, book rooms, and see shared mailboxes. 
• OneDrive synced on endpoints; SharePoint Sites accessible with correct permissions. 
• MFA/Conditional Access live and documented; legacy auth blocked. 
• Backups configured and a test restore completed. 
• Cutover issues log closed; hypercare concluded; admin runbooks delivered. 

Post-migration hardening (don’t skip) 

• MFA everywhere; block legacy auth. 
• Conditional Access: require compliant devices for admin roles; geofencing as appropriate. 
• Email security: SPF, DKIM, DMARC at p=quarantine/ reject (after monitoring), deploy Defender policies. 
• Backup for M365: mail, OneDrive, SharePoint, Teams. 
• Device management: Intune baseline, BitLocker, baseline policies, app protection. 
• Governance: Teams/SharePoint lifecycle, guest access guardrails, naming conventions. 
• Compliance: retention labels/policies, eDiscovery basics, access reviews (quarterly). 

FAQs 

Can we migrate over a weekend with zero downtime?
Close—email usually continues during DNS propagation, but plan a short cutover window for profiles, mobile, and last deltas. 

Do we need a third-party backup for Microsoft 365?
We strongly recommend it. Microsoft protects the platform; you own your data (accidental deletion and ransomware are still risks). 

What about phones/Teams Calling?
If you’re moving from a separate VoIP, plan a parallel workstream for numbers, call flows, and devices—often a separate mini-project. 

How do we keep Wichita locations in sync?
Use phased waves by site (e.g., Andover, Goddard, Derby) and confirm ISP/failover before cutover. 

How Enegren Technology runs M365 migrations (Wichita playbook) 

• Fixed-scope discovery with Wichita-specific DNS/ISP checks. 
• Pilot-first approach to catch calendar, permissions, and OneDrive surprises. 
• If necessary, wave-based cutovers by department/site to reduce support spikes. 
• Compliance-ready artifacts (HIPAA/CMMC): evidence of controls, retention, and backup testing. 
• Hypercare with floor support + office hours; training tailored for your tools (M365, EMR/ERP, POS). 

Ready for a Wichita-specific plan? 

Tell us your user count, current platform (Google/Exchange/IMAP/M365), number of domains/sites, and any compliance notes. We’ll return a clear timeline, itemized estimate, and a risk-driven cutover plan you can share with leadership.