What better way to showcase the importance of SharePoint to you than a few statistics? Well, according to Statista, the total number of SharePoint users have increased by 19% over the past four years; and, according to the same study, around 86% of Microsoft users started using cloud-based SharePoint servers in place of their one-premise servers. As you can see, SharePoint is gaining popularity, so it is obvious that you might want to board the train. But, it would be difficult for you to do so without using a SharePoint migration tool.
These tools help facilitate the seamless transition of existing SharePoint files to newer platform or environment versions; so, you can easily upgrade the SharePoint version you’re using for your content management. But, with so many SharePoint migration tools in the industry, which one should you opt for? Well, our experts evaluated hundreds of Microsoft SharePoint migration tools to find the best ones and we have listed them in the following article.
So, jump right into the article and get ready to learn more about the top SharePoint migration tools that you can try out. We will also discuss some basic concepts like challenges you might face to ensure that you are better prepared for choosing a SharePoint migration tool for your business needs!
What is SharePoint Migration and a SharePoint Migration Tool?
You can think of SharePoint migration as a simple way to move your existing SharePoint CMS solutions or projects into a new environment or version. Generally, we perform SharePoint migration to migrate to a new version to ensure that our SharePoint developers can take advantage of the latest features developed by the Microsoft SharePoint team.
In simple terms, SharePoint can be thought of as an intranet and a content management system that allows businesses to easily integrate their internal processes and bring everything together. A lot of organizations use SharePoint;to build their websites to enable better sharing and management of content and data; after all, SharePoint is highly customizable, which allows several businesses to use the platform in ways that help cater to their needs.
What are SharePoint Migration Tools and Why Do You Need Them?
If you have a SharePoint environment up and running, but have not yet migrated the important information to it, you should look for a SharePoint migration tool; but, you must ensure that you are aware of the different factors that play a crucial role in SharePoint migration and must have a SharePoint migration plan in place. Once your migration strategy is in place, it would be easier for you to choose a SharePoint migration tool among the numerous ones available in today’s market.
An interesting fact for you – the first SharePoint migration tool developed was by Microsoft and catered to all Microsoft Office 365 users. But, there are several SharePoint migration tools that are more powerful and efficient than the Microsoft SharePoint migration tool (SPMT). It is a software solution or program that allows businesses and developers to easily copy and migrate all on-point SharePoint files, libraries, and documents to the SharePoint Online version.
Now, some principles that you must keep in mind to ensure that your SharePoint migration tool is in line with other Microsoft development services include:
5 Most Popular SharePoint Migration Tools that You Must Check Out
Now that we have an idea about what SharePoint is and why you need a SharePoint online migration tool, let us check out the top 5 SharePoint migration tools in the industry. We have listed them in the list below and have provided a brief description of each to help you quickly determine the perfect SharePoint migration tool for your business.
1. AvePoint DocAve
If you have been searching for a SharePoint migration tool since a long time, you’ve surely heard about AvePoint DocAve; it is one of the most reputed names in the SharePoint migration and MVC Dot Net development services industry and allows businesses to migrate their environment and reorganize the website content within seconds.
2. ShareGate Migration Tool
Another popular SharePoint migration tool that you must check out is the ShareGate Migration Tool which contains some of the most cutting-edge features available in the SharePoint migration industry. Moreover, it is simple and uncomplicated and does not require server-side installation; this means that businesses and developers can not only quickly migrate their SharePoint environment, but can also avoid undertaking complicated installation processes.
3. Lightning Migrator
If you are short on time and want to migrate your SharePoint environment as quickly as possible, we recommend you check out Lightning Migrator. One of the simplest SharePoint migration tools that you will find in today’s industry, Lightning Migrator allows businesses to rapidly take their website from the SharePoint server to the SharePoint Online version.
4. Metalogix CodePlex
Are you looking for a SharePoint Migration tool that not only allows you to migrate your website environment but also allows you to create new site design structures? If you answered or nodded yes, check out Metalogix CodePlex; a highly popular platform, it allows developers to connect to pre-existing deployments without having to perform extra server-side deployments.
5. CodePlex
Created by Microsoft, CodePlex is the perfect SharePoint migration tool for businesses looking to use software created by a name brand. It is also highly popular because it allows developers to easily create and share their projects with the world; moreover, it is open-source which means your development and migration cost is reduced and you can reap the benefits of a huge community.
What Challenges Might I Face During SharePoint Online Migration?
Since SharePoint Migration can be a bit difficult, a lot of businesses often hire SharePoint migration experts. But, if you want to do it yourself, we wish you all the best and as a courtesy, we have mentioned the top challenges that you will need to tackle in this following section.
- If you are migrating to SharePoint Online, the most common challenge that businesses face is not because of the framework; instead, it is simply because businesses have not kept their business information well-organized.
- Other than having issues with the way the data is organized, a lot of businesses face storage issues; this is because, often, the new environment either has lesser or more storage available and you must organize your data accordingly to ensure that the SharePoint migration happens seamlessly.
- In case your business has numerous files that must be shifted and migrated, a lot of files might end up going somewhere they are not meant to be and end up getting corrupted; so, we recommend you plan your bulk migration properly to ensure that the complete SharePoint data is error-free and secure.
- Although a lot of businesses consider metadata to be not as important as their original business data, we recommend you focus on your metadata to ensure that your business operations are not hampered. Keep in mind that losing metadata does not happen frequently, but you must stay prepared in case this happens.
- When you are using a SharePoint migration tool to take the data at your local level to a cloud-based solution, you might face security issues; this is mainly because local environments have customized security protocols in place and when shifting your SharePoint online, a lot of these security features might not get migrated and your system might become compromised.
Are you worried how you will tackle these issues and ensure that your SharePoint environment is properly migrated? Well, the first step you must take is to ensure that you have carefully understood the different environment factors that you must consider; we also suggest you hire SharePoint developers to ensure that a successful migration strategy is in place and your environment and its data will not be compromised!
Conclusion
SharePoint migration tools are a great way to ensure that your environment and business data is not compromised and successfully onboarded on another platform. However, with so many SharePoint to SharePoint migration tools available, we understand that it might be difficult for you to choose one. Hence, we recommend you check out all the top sharepoint online migration tools that we have listed in this article and carefully plan before you choose one.
You can also partner with an expert company offering the industry’s best SharePoint migration services like CMARIX to take the burden off your shoulders while ensuring that you quickly get closer to success. We recommend you get in touch with us to initiate a discussion on how we can take over your SharePoint needs and help you migrate your environment for better business benefits in no time!
Frequently Asked Questions
Why Should I Use a SharePoint Migration Tool?
A SharePoint migration tool is a great way to migrate your existing business system to SharePoint to help ensure better content management; and, a lot of businesses use SharePoint migration tools because they want to upgrade their systems to the latest SharePoint version and take advantage of the additional features.
How to Use SharePoint Migration Tool?
Simply download your preferred SharePoint migration tool and double click on the installer to install it on your laptop/PC; then, you will be greeted with a welcome page that will guide you on how to use the software and perform SharePoint migration. If you are not a SharePoint developer, we recommend you hire one or partner with a company offering SharePoint migration services for better and quicker results.
Which Is Better, SharePoint Migration or SharePoint Configuration?
SharePoint is a highly configurable software but as many experienced developers would attest, it is always better to perform SharePoint migration; this is because configurations do have some limitations and migrating your SharePoint environment will allow you to quickly use the latest SharePoint version.
Where Can I Get Access to the USA’s Best Professional SharePoint Migration Services?
Although there are several companies offering SharePoint migration services in the USA, CMARIX is undoubtedly the best! With several years of experience and a wide portfolio, we are the industry’s best and have helped numerous businesses successfully migrate their SharePoint environments.
