While GroupWise users have loved the messaging and collaboration platform since the 1980s, most organizations understand that moving to a more integrated environment is inevitable. Modern collaboration solutions offer more agile solutions built specifically for today’s hybrid work environment. Understanding the factors involved will help organizations determine the right time for a GroupWise to Microsoft 365 migration.
GroupWise eDiscovery Limitations
In an increasingly litigious environment, organizations must demonstrate the ability to respond quickly to eDiscovery requests. However, the GroupWise structure, which hasn’t changed much since the 1980’s, presents significant challenges to eDiscovery. Organizations must decide between accepting fines for non-compliance or pulling together a workable solution with third-party tools.
In the first place, GroupWise offers only limited search capabilities on its own. Consequently, administrators must access each mailbox and personal archive individually, manually locating and extracting needed data. This cumbersome process can make a formidable task for a quick turnaround .
Secondly, GroupWise is a proprietary encrypted database. This limits the types of tools that can be utilized to access data within the system and personal archives.
Compliance Challenges Related to GroupWise Personal Archives
GroupWise handling of personal archives poses several problems in addition to eDiscovery. Not only are GroupWise Archives encrypted databases in themselves that are linked to the individual account that created them, but because users maintain their own personal archives, compliance becomes an issue.
Most GroupWise administrators do not lock the location of personal archives. Thus, it leaves end users free to choose where to store their archives, potentially keeping damaging information hidden from oversight. They may also retain data far longer than necessary or advisable.
Additionally, as users continue to add to their personal archives, they eventually reach content limitations. At this point, GroupWise begins overwriting existing information, resulting in lost or corrupted data. Fortunately, the consultants at Messaging Architects have the needed expertise including unique tools for locating and collecting those dispersed databases
GroupWise Expertise Getting Harder to Find
As these and other problems related to an aging email system become more of an issue, expert support proves increasingly difficult to secure. GroupWise users comprise less than 0.3 percent of the office productivity market share. Consequently, the pool of GroupWise consultants has dwindled.
Few companies provide tech support for the product anymore. And many, including Quest, have reduced support and options for GroupWise migrations. That means that when data becomes corrupted or companies face eDiscovery challenges, they have fewer resources at their disposal each year.
When is the Best Time for GroupWise to Microsoft 365 Migration?
The obvious solution to GroupWise difficulties involves migrating to a modern cloud productivity solution such as Microsoft 365. Moving to the cloud brings a host of benefits, from drastically improved archiving to hassle-free updates. Users can work from anywhere and collaborate easily across distance. And IT no longer needs to spend time patching outdated infrastructure.
However, even though Microsoft 365 delivers clear benefits, the process of migrating can prove complex. Large mailboxes can be difficult to transfer easily. And finding and processing the personal archives of hundreds of users presents an intimidating challenge. DIY tools exist, but they require extensive technical knowledge that most IT departments do not possess.
While organizations should plan to migrate soon, before they fall even further behind the technology curve, the process requires careful planning. To ensure success, partner with migration consultants who know the territory with all its complexities.
GroupWise to Microsoft 365 Migration Experts
The consultants at Messaging Architects have worked with both GroupWise and Microsoft for decades. They conduct migrations largely behind the scenes, with only minimal disruption to end users. And with Messaging Architects’ 100 percent migration success rate, organizations can migrate with confidence.
And for those organizations not yet ready to migrate, Messaging Architects provides solutions, as well. Fully featured archiving and eDiscovery tools from Messaging Architects support GroupWise, allowing the preservation of data. When the time comes, the tools also support the migration of that data and allow the addition of new Microsoft 365 data, enabling searches across both new and legacy data.
