Migrate only some users to Microsoft 365 Business from Family

[Jaxon]

I have a client who has avoided upgrading to a MS 365 Business plan from Family due to the cost. They have signed up for a marketing service which requires at least Business Basic to work. Is it possible to migrate just a few users to Business Basic or Business Standard and leave the other users on Rackspace Email? I think I know the answer already (which the client will not like) but wanted to verify.

 

[YeOldeStonecat]

I do recall that Rackspace used to have a special/unique "split" email system...where you could for example, have one domain...and the white shirts using RS's hosted Microsoft Exchange, and the blue collars using their basic imap services.

Not sure if they still offer that service, this was a long time ago....we were big RackSpace partners way back when...but after their first sell...they went way downhill...especially of late. Hence their new name.."HackedSpace".

You used to be able to use your own domain with 365 Home/Family...but I'm pretty sure Microsoft very recently removed that option.
Yeah, if it's a business...time to step up to business services.

 

[Sky-Knight]

Family doesn't have a custom domain, all the business stuff does. There is no merging, they're utterly separate AND the endpoints can have more than one login. You can use the on premise Family apps with Business Basic's cloud services without issue. I know... because that's literally what my mom does. I have my family emails in my M365 tenant, and she has her own family plan for her and my dad's use. It was much cheaper to get the on premise applications to them that way.

What you can't do is have the domain in more than one mail exchanger... so... probably can't keep the Rackspace.

 

[Jaxon]

I do recall that Rackspace used to have a special/unique "split" email system...where you could for example, have one domain...and the white shirts using RS's hosted Microsoft Exchange, and the blue collars using their basic imap services.

Not sure if they still offer that service, this was a long time ago....we were big RackSpace partners way back when...but after their first sell...they went way downhill...especially of late. Hence their new name.."HackedSpace".

You used to be able to use your own domain with 365 Home/Family...but I'm pretty sure Microsoft very recently removed that option.
Yeah, if it's a business...time to step up to business services.

Thanks for the reply. I would very much like for the client to move away from Rackspace!

 

[Jaxon]

Family doesn't have a custom domain, all the business stuff does. There is no merging, they're utterly separate AND the endpoints can have more than one login. You can use the on premise Family apps with Business Basic's cloud services without issue. I know... because that's literally what my mom does. I have my family emails in my M365 tenant, and she has her own family plan for her and my dad's use. It was much cheaper to get the on premise applications to them that way.

What you can't do is have the domain in more than one mail exchanger... so... probably can't keep the Rackspace.

Thank you! Great idea to use the Family desktop apps with Business Basic. That will help keep the cost down. I'm pretty sure I can sell my client on doing it that way.

 

[SAFCasper]

It's possible with some hosted antispam systems. Point MX directly to the antispam host then use custom policies to determine inbound routing.

Recipient is in user group A > route to MX of O365
Everyone else > route to MX of Rackspace

However, I can't emphasise this point enough - IT'S AN AWFUL IDEA
Handy as a temporary fix if a migration goes spectacularly wrong and that's about it.

 

[Sky-Knight]

Thank you! Great idea to use the Family desktop apps with Business Basic. That will help keep the cost down. I'm pretty sure I can sell my client on doing it that way.

Note, the family plan applications are not legal to use for business purposes. No enforcement here, but it is an ethics problem.

 

[callthatgirl]

Yeah no migration. Just setup new business users and setup their email.

If you need to migrate email from whatever they are on how to the 365, add the new 365 mbx to Outlook and move the email from one account to another.

 

[trevm999]

Remember that you can mix and matches licences, so if you have users that only need a mailbox, there's cheaper licences you can get for them.

 

[britechguy]

if you have users that only need a mailbox, there's cheaper licences you can get for them.

Amen! My recent client needed only 2 "nearly full service" licenses in the form of M365 Business Standard. All other users needed licenses only for access to SharePoint via Teams/OneDrive. They all got Business Basic.

It's a machine shop, and the guys on the floor only need access to the files that get fed to the actual machines that do the machining. They never touch things like Word, Excel, etc. or even Outlook. They just need access to the appropriate "networked drive" location - which happens to be in the cloud on SharePoint and managed locally via OneDrive.