🔎At a glance

• Global investment management company
• £525bn assets under management
• Post-merger infrastructure consolidation
• Exchange Server 2010 → Exchange 2016 upgrade

🚨The challenge

Following the merger of two major financial organisations, the combined business needed to bring additional users onto a single messaging platform.

However:

• Legacy Exchange infrastructure was experiencing performance issues
• Thousands of mailboxes required migration
• The platform needed to support future migration to Exchange Online
• The transition had to avoid disruption to financial operations

💡The approach

Advania delivered the project using a phased methodology:

Plan

• Architecture and design workshops
• Exchange migration readiness planning

Prepare

• Infrastructure preparation tasks
• Testing and remediation planning
• Migration training for internal support teams

Migrate

• Pilot migrations to validate approach
• Full mailbox migration by region
• Decommissioning of Exchange 2010 infrastructure

☑️The outcome

• Consolidated messaging infrastructure across merged organisations
• Improved system performance and stability
• Platform prepared for future cloud adoption
• Successful migration with minimal disruption

⚡️Why this matters

Large mergers often require complex IT consolidation. A structured migration approach ensures organisations can stabilise legacy infrastructure while laying the foundation for long-term cloud transformation.

🔎At a glance

• Global multinational law firm
• 30 offices across 20 countries
• Over 2,800 lawyers
• Exchange 2010 migration to Exchange Online

🚨The challenge

The firm was undertaking a major cloud migration programme and needed to move its email infrastructure off legacy systems nearing end of support.

However, the project came with significant constraints:

• Strict legal-sector data security requirements
• Tight migration timelines
• Complex integrations with existing messaging tools
• Users highly sensitive to disruption during migration

Email continuity was essential to business operations, meaning downtime and risk had to be carefully managed.

💡The approach

Advania designed and implemented a secure migration architecture while integrating existing services such as Proofpoint, Cisco Viewmail, and enterprise encryption tools.

The delivery included:

• Messaging architecture and design documentation
• Identity integration planning
• Messaging migration testing and validation
• Security and compliance design
• Exchange Online configuration and deployment
• Detailed migration planning and reporting

☑️The outcome

• Successful migration from Exchange 2010 to Exchange Online
• Secure email environment aligned with legal-sector compliance requirements
• Seamless transition for thousands of users
• Strong governance and documentation for future operations

⚡️Why this matters

Law firms operate under strict security, compliance, and operational continuity requirements. This project demonstrates how carefully planned migrations can modernise legacy infrastructure while maintaining the trust and reliability critical to legal services.

🔎At a glance

• Global coffee retailer
• Tenant-to-tenant migration
• Thousands of users
• Complex email + domain migration

🚨The challenge

The organisation needed to separate from its previous parent company’s tenant while maintaining operations across hundreds of locations.

Challenges included:

• Cross-tenant migration limitations
• Shared mailbox complexities
• Custom domains and email routing
• Dynamic user lists
• Tight migration windows

💡The approach

Advania delivered:

• Office 365 tenant configuration
• Migration tooling setup
• Group & Teams recreation
• Mailbox + SharePoint migration
• Weekend cutover planning

☑️The outcome

• Successful tenant separation
• Minimal disruption to stores
• Secure migration of critical data
• Foundation for future IT independence

⚡️Why this matters

Corporate divestitures require complex IT separation projects. With the right planning and tooling, organisations can maintain continuity while transitioning to new environments.

🔎At a glance

• UK government department
• ~2,000 users
• Migration to Microsoft 365
• Exchange, Teams, OneDrive, Identity

🚨The challenge

The department needed to modernise collaboration while handling:

• Large data volumes
• Network constraints
• Security and GDPR requirements
• Multiple migration tools
• Minimal user disruption

Public sector compliance requirements added further complexity.

💡The approach

Advania provided:

• End-to-end migration planning
• Identity integration
• Exchange + Teams rollout
• Adoption training
• Post-migration support

☑️The outcome

• Secure Microsoft 365 rollout
• Improved collaboration
• Minimal disruption
• Strong governance foundation

⚡️Why this matters

Public sector organisations face strict compliance and operational requirements. This project shows how structured migrations can modernise collaboration while maintaining security and service continuity.

🔎At a glance

• Operator of one of the UK’s largest tram systems
• ~100km network serving dozens of stops
• Tens of millions of passenger journeys per year
• Limited access to existing infrastructure before go-live

🚨The challenge

The new operator had very limited access to the existing infrastructure before the contract start date. Despite these constraints, they needed to migrate systems and data quickly and securely so that operations could continue without disruption.

Any failure in transition risked impacting public transport services and passenger experience.

💡The approach

A detailed migration roadmap was developed to move systems into a new hosting environment while maintaining operational continuity.

Cross-functional teams worked around the clock to prepare, test, and execute the switchover. A new network was also implemented to connect offices and depots, ensuring fast and dependable communications across the organisation.

Security planning and contingency support were built into every stage of the project.

☑️The outcome

• Seamless infrastructure transition with no unforeseen issues
• Secure migration of systems and operational data
• Reliable communications across offices and depots
• Continued support ensuring uninterrupted transport operations

⚡️Why this matters

• Infrastructure migrations must not disrupt essential public services
• Detailed planning reduces risk in high-pressure transitions
• Cross-team collaboration is key to complex programme success

🔎At a glance

• Operator of one of the UK’s largest tram systems
• ~100km network serving dozens of stops
• Tens of millions of passenger journeys per year
• Limited access to existing infrastructure before go-live

🚨The challenge

The new operator had very limited access to the existing infrastructure before the contract start date. Despite these constraints, they needed to migrate systems and data quickly and securely so that operations could continue without disruption.

Any failure in transition risked impacting public transport services and passenger experience.

💡The approach

A detailed migration roadmap was developed to move systems into a new hosting environment while maintaining operational continuity.

Cross-functional teams worked around the clock to prepare, test, and execute the switchover. A new network was also implemented to connect offices and depots, ensuring fast and dependable communications across the organisation.

Security planning and contingency support were built into every stage of the project.

☑️The outcome

• Seamless infrastructure transition with no unforeseen issues
• Secure migration of systems and operational data
• Reliable communications across offices and depots
• Continued support ensuring uninterrupted transport operations

⚡️Why this matters

• Infrastructure migrations must not disrupt essential public services
• Detailed planning reduces risk in high-pressure transitions
• Cross-team collaboration is key to complex programme success