Client overview
An aerospace company based in Washington, with over 1,500 employees across multiple locations, was using a hybrid Exchange environment, combining on-premises Exchange servers with some cloud-based services. While this setup had served them well for years, the rapidly changing demands of the aerospace industry, coupled with security concerns and the need for advanced collaboration tools, prompted the company to migrate fully to Microsoft 365. The goal was to streamline operations, improve security, and leverage cloud capabilities for better scalability and collaboration.
The company had been using a hybrid Exchange setup, which required maintaining both on-premises infrastructure and managing cloud services. This dual-system approach placed a heavy burden on the IT team, as they had to handle server maintenance, software updates, backups, and cloud configurations simultaneously. Managing this hybrid environment became increasingly challenging as the company expanded, leading to inefficiencies and high maintenance costs.
As an aerospace company, the organization dealt with sensitive data, including proprietary designs, client contracts, and defense-related communications. They needed to ensure that their email and collaboration tools met strict regulatory requirements such as ITAR (International Traffic in Arms Regulations) and DFARS (Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement). The hybrid Exchange environment lacked the advanced security features needed to protect such sensitive information and meet these compliance standards. The company needed a secure platform that offered data encryption, advanced threat protection, and robust compliance tools.
While the hybrid Exchange environment offered basic email functionality, it lacked advanced collaboration tools that could help teams work together more effectively, especially across different locations. The aerospace industry requires close collaboration between engineers, project managers, and external contractors, often working on complex projects that require file sharing, real-time communication, and co-authoring of documents. The company needed more sophisticated tools like Microsoft Teams, SharePoint, and OneDrive to facilitate better collaboration and improve project efficiency.
As the aerospace company grew and took on more projects, the hybrid Exchange setup became increasingly difficult to scale. Expanding the on-premises infrastructure required significant hardware investments, while managing additional cloud services added complexity. The company sought a more scalable solution that could grow with their business, without the need for continuous hardware upgrades and manual configurations.
The dual nature of the hybrid Exchange environment resulted in high IT costs, including hardware maintenance, software licensing, and cloud service fees. The IT team was stretched thin, spending a significant amount of time managing backups, security patches, and system updates for both on-premises and cloud components. The company wanted to reduce its IT overhead and move to a cloud-based solution that would allow the IT team to focus on more strategic initiatives, such as improving digital transformation and enhancing aerospace operations.
Medha Cloud worked closely with the aerospace company to migrate their hybrid Exchange environment to Microsoft 365, addressing their challenges related to security, collaboration, and scalability while ensuring compliance with industry regulations.
We started by conducting a thorough assessment of the company’s hybrid Exchange environment, mapping out user accounts, shared mailboxes, distribution lists, and email archives. This assessment helped us develop a detailed migration plan that ensured a seamless transition to Microsoft 365. The plan included steps to preserve all critical email data, calendar events, and shared folders during the migration process, ensuring that no disruption occurred to ongoing aerospace projects.
Given the complexity of the aerospace company’s operations, Medha Cloud implemented a phased migration approach to minimize downtime. We first migrated non-critical departments, such as administrative teams, to Microsoft 365 to test the process and identify any potential issues. Once the initial phase was successful, we proceeded with the migration of high-priority teams, including engineering and project management. This method ensured that business-critical teams could continue working without any disruption.
The migration to Microsoft 365 provided the aerospace company with access to advanced collaboration tools like Microsoft Teams, SharePoint, and OneDrive. Microsoft Teams became the hub for communication, allowing engineers, project managers, and external contractors to collaborate in real time. Teams facilitated secure virtual meetings, file sharing, and project coordination. SharePoint was used to manage large project files, engineering designs, and technical documentation, while OneDrive provided personal storage for employees to access important files from any device, improving overall project efficiency.
Security and compliance were critical for the aerospace company, given the sensitivity of the data they handled. Microsoft 365 offered the advanced security features they needed, including Advanced Threat Protection (ATP), multi-factor authentication (MFA), data encryption, and Data Loss Prevention (DLP) policies. These security tools ensured that the company’s emails and documents were protected from cyber threats, and compliance tools like eDiscovery and audit logs helped the company meet regulatory requirements such as ITAR and DFARS. Medha Cloud also helped the company implement customized security policies to ensure data integrity and regulatory compliance.
By migrating to Microsoft 365, the aerospace company significantly reduced its IT maintenance costs. The cloud-based platform eliminated the need for on-premises servers and hardware upgrades, allowing the company to operate with predictable subscription-based pricing. Microsoft handled all system updates, security patches, and backups, freeing up the IT team to focus on more strategic tasks, such as improving aerospace design processes and enhancing digital workflows.
Microsoft 365’s cloud-based infrastructure provided the aerospace company with the scalability it needed to grow. The IT team could easily add new users, expand storage, and integrate additional collaboration tools as the company took on more projects and hired new employees. This flexibility ensured that the company could continue to expand its aerospace operations without worrying about infrastructure limitations or high costs associated with on-premises hardware.
To ensure a smooth transition, Medha Cloud provided comprehensive training sessions for the company’s employees, including engineers, project managers, and administrative staff. The training focused on using Microsoft 365’s tools, such as Outlook, Teams, SharePoint, and OneDrive, for communication, collaboration, and document management. Ongoing support was provided to help the IT team resolve any technical challenges during and after the migration, ensuring that employees quickly adapted to the new platform.
With Microsoft 365’s advanced security features, the aerospace company significantly improved its protection against cyber threats and ensured compliance with ITAR and DFARS. The implementation of ATP, MFA, and DLP policies provided robust data protection, while the compliance tools ensured that sensitive project data and communications were handled securely. The ability to track data access and monitor audit logs provided better visibility into how confidential information was being used and shared.
By migrating to Microsoft 365, the company eliminated the costs associated with maintaining on-premises Exchange servers and reduced its overall IT overhead. The subscription-based pricing model allowed for predictable monthly costs, and the cloud infrastructure eliminated the need for costly hardware upgrades and manual system updates. The IT team could now focus on more valuable tasks, such as optimizing aerospace operations and improving project management processes.
The migration to Microsoft 365 transformed how teams within the aerospace company collaborated. Microsoft Teams and SharePoint allowed employees to work together in real-time, share large files, and manage complex aerospace projects more efficiently. The ability to hold virtual meetings, co-author documents, and track project progress in Teams improved overall productivity and reduced delays in project timelines.
With Microsoft 365’s cloud infrastructure, the aerospace company gained the flexibility and scalability needed to grow its operations. Adding new users, expanding storage, and integrating additional services became simple, ensuring that the company could continue to take on larger projects and expand its workforce without infrastructure limitations. This scalability allowed the company to maintain its competitive edge in the aerospace industry.
Employees quickly adapted to the new tools in Microsoft 365, with high adoption rates across the company. The user-friendly interface of Outlook, Teams, and SharePoint, along with the comprehensive training provided by Medha Cloud, ensured that employees could make the most of the new platform’s capabilities. The improved collaboration and communication features led to increased employee satisfaction and more efficient project workflows.
Migrating from a hybrid Exchange environment to Microsoft 365 allowed the aerospace company in Washington to modernize its communication and collaboration tools, enhance data security, and reduce IT overhead. Medha Cloud’s tailored migration approach ensured a seamless transition, empowering the company to focus on its aerospace projects while maintaining a secure and scalable IT environment.
If your organization is still using a hybrid Exchange setup or another outdated system, contact Medha Cloud today to learn how we can help you migrate to Microsoft 365 seamlessly, improving collaboration, security, and scalability while reducing IT costs.
