Licensing Tier per User
Business Basic vs Business Standard vs Business Premium (includes EDR, Intune, Conditional Access). Premium typically pays back vs separately buying EDR + MDM + Conditional Access P1.
M365 Migration Cost Guide · Abu Dhabi
Microsoft 365 Migration & Setup Cost Guide — Abu Dhabi
Emirtech Technology can run Microsoft 365 migrations across Abu Dhabi — Exchange, Google Workspace, IMAP and GoDaddy migrations. This guide explains the cost factors honestly.
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In short: This guide, “Microsoft 365 Migration & Setup Cost Guide”, explains what drives the cost. Emirtech does not publish a price list; a written, itemised quotation follows a survey or assessment.
Microsoft 365 Migration & Setup Cost Guide: key facts
| Published by | Published by Emirtech Technology, an independent integrator in Mussafah, Abu Dhabi, in operation since 2018. |
|---|---|
| Where? | Abu Dhabi and Al Ain, served from Emirtech's Mussafah, Abu Dhabi base; there is no Al Ain office. In Dubai: smart home, PABX and IP-PBX phone systems, IT AMC and time attendance by scheduled on-site visits, gate barriers, ANPR, video intercoms and turnstiles by Emirtech itself; CCTV, alarm and access control through SIRA-approved partners, with Emirtech coordinating. |
| Survey and quotation | Emirtech publishes no price list; a written, itemised quotation follows a survey or assessment. |
| Credentials | Emirtech is an independent systems integrator. It holds no manufacturer-level credential of its own, and its ADMCC approval covers security systems only, not IT services. It claims no partner status with the vendors named on this page. Product brands named on this page are trademarks of their owners. |
| Last reviewed | 21 October 2026 |
What actually determines Microsoft 365 migration cost?
Microsoft 365 migration cost is driven by user count, tier choice, source platform and SharePoint complexity — and the licensing tier decision typically dwarfs all other costs over a 3-5 year horizon. The factors: (1) licensing tier per user — Business Basic, Business Standard, Business Premium (includes Defender for Business, Intune, Conditional Access, EDR), E3, E5 (Microsoft list prices change; check Microsoft's current price list); (2) user count — drives total licensing cost linearly; (3) source platform — on-premise Exchange (cutover, staged, hybrid), Google Workspace, GoDaddy, Rackspace, IMAP — each has different migration tool requirements; (4) mailbox data volume — TB-scale mailboxes take longer and cost more to migrate; (5) OneDrive content volume — per-user OneDrive content to migrate; (6) SharePoint architecture — basic structure (cheap) vs proper hub-site architecture with sensitivity labels and retention policies (more involved); (7) Teams migration — within platform limitations; (8) identity setup — Entra ID, MFA enforcement, Conditional Access, hybrid sync with on-premise AD; (9) third-party backup — usually licensed per user per month (essential, not optional); (10) user training and adoption — often skipped, hurts ROI; (11) custom domain setup — DKIM, SPF, DMARC; (12) AMC — ongoing tenant administration, security tuning, support. Emirtech itemises every M365 migration quote. Call +971 55 651 7843 for a free M365 consultation.
Cost drivers
What drives the cost of the migration project itself
We do not publish a price list for the migration service — assessment, mailbox/data migration, DNS cutover, basic SharePoint setup and go-live support — which is separate from the ongoing per-user licensing figures above. The free consultation is what sizes your actual project, and the table shows what drives the cost at each tier.
| Project tier | Typical scope | What drives the project cost |
|---|---|---|
| Small SMB (5–15 users) | New tenant or cutover migration, basic SharePoint, 1–2 weeks | User and mailbox count, data volume, SharePoint scope |
| Mid-size SMB (15–50 users) | Staged migration, proper SharePoint architecture, training, 2–4 weeks | Staged migration effort, SharePoint architecture, training |
| Mid-market (50–200 users) | Hybrid Exchange migration, hub-site SharePoint, Entra Connect, 4–8 weeks | Hybrid Exchange complexity, hub-site SharePoint, identity sync, project duration |
| Enterprise / multi-tenant | Complex hybrid, tenant-to-tenant M&A migration, 8–16 weeks | Bespoke quote only |
Per-mailbox migration tooling is quoted on top of a base assessment and setup fee for smaller projects. Project costs exclude the ongoing M365 per-user licensing detailed above, which is billed separately by Microsoft. Call +971 55 651 7843 for a free M365 consultation.
M365 migration cost factors
What you are paying for
User Count & Mailbox Volume
User count drives licensing linearly. Mailbox data volume drives migration project cost — multi-TB mailboxes take longer with more verification.
Source Platform Complexity
On-premise Exchange (cutover / staged / hybrid each differ), Google Workspace, GoDaddy, Rackspace, IMAP — different tools (BitTitan MigrationWiz, Microsoft Migration Manager, others) with different per-user costs.
SharePoint Architecture & Backup
Basic SharePoint vs proper hub-site architecture with retention / sensitivity labels (involved). Third-party M365 backup (licensed per user per month) is essential — Microsoft does not back up the way customers assume.
Licensing tier dwarfs migration cost over 3-5 years
Licensing is a recurring per-user charge, so over 3-5 years the licence spend for even a small tenant outweighs the one-off migration project cost. Choose tier carefully. Call +971 55 651 7843 or request a free M365 consultation.
- Licensing tier per user (Basic / Standard / Premium / E3 / E5)
- User count and per-user cost
- Source platform and migration tool requirement
- Mailbox data volume
- OneDrive content volume
- SharePoint architecture complexity
- Teams migration scope
- Identity setup (Entra ID, MFA, Conditional Access)
- Third-party M365 backup
- User training and adoption
- Domain setup (DKIM, SPF, DMARC)
- AMC for ongoing administration
Migration project tiers
Typical configurations
Small SMB (5-15 users)
New tenant setup or cutover from existing mail platform; Business Standard or Premium tier; basic SharePoint structure; third-party backup; 1-2 week migration. Lowest cost tier.
Mid-size SMB (15-50 users)
Staged Exchange migration or Google Workspace migration; Business Premium typically; proper SharePoint architecture; user training; 2-4 week project.
Mid-market (50-200 users)
Hybrid Exchange migration; Business Premium or E3; full SharePoint architecture with hub sites and sensitivity labels; Entra Connect hybrid identity; phased migration over 4-8 weeks.
Enterprise / multi-tenant
Complex hybrid; E3 or E5; tenant-to-tenant migration for M&A; advanced security; Microsoft Sentinel SIEM; 8-16 week project.
How to compare M365 migration quotes honestly
Ask each M365 provider:
- Which licensing tier do you recommend? Business Standard vs Premium vs E3.
- Why? Premium includes Defender for Business EDR + Intune + Conditional Access — typically pays back vs buying separately.
- What is per-user 5-year cost? Licensing dwarfs migration cost.
- What migration tool will you use? BitTitan / Microsoft / native.
- What SharePoint architecture? Basic vs proper hub sites.
- Third-party backup included? Per-user-per-month cost.
- MFA and Conditional Access setup?
- User training included?
- What is in the AMC? Ongoing administration, security tuning, support.
- Are you Microsoft Solutions Partner-tier? (Useful but not essential.)
Emirtech does not publish fixed M365 migration prices because user count, tier, source platform and SharePoint complexity drive significant variance. See our Microsoft 365 Migration & Setup service page for full delivery scope. Free M365 consultations across Abu Dhabi.
Common questions
FAQs
How much does Microsoft 365 migration cost?
There is no single answer — user count, licensing tier, source platform, mailbox volume, SharePoint complexity and third-party backup all matter. We do not publish a price list: the migration service itself (separate from ongoing per-user licensing) is scoped by size, from a small SMB (5-15 users) through a mid-size SMB (15-50 users) to a mid-market project (50-200 users), and enterprise multi-tenant migrations are bespoke-quoted. A 10-user new-tenant setup is dramatically cheaper than a 100-user hybrid Exchange migration with full SharePoint architecture. Site visit and tier discussion required.
Should I budget for Business Premium or Business Standard?
Business Premium includes Defender for Business EDR, Intune device management, Conditional Access, Entra ID Premium P1. Business Standard does not. Microsoft list prices change; check Microsoft's current price list. If you would otherwise buy separate EDR, MDM and Conditional Access, Premium is cheaper. For Microsoft-centric SMBs, Business Premium is our default recommendation.
Why do I need third-party M365 backup?
Microsoft replicates data for resilience but does NOT protect against accidental deletion, departed-employee actions, malicious tenant activity or ransomware that propagates to M365. Third-party backup (Veeam, Acronis Cyber Protect Cloud) (licensed per user per month) is essential, not optional. See our Backup Cost Guide.
How long does M365 migration take?
5-15 user new-tenant setup: 1-2 weeks. 15-50 user migration: 2-4 weeks. 50-200 user hybrid migration: 4-8 weeks. Enterprise: 8-16 weeks. Engaging 4-6 weeks ahead enables proper sequencing.
Should I budget for user training?
Yes. M365 is a productivity platform — users who do not understand SharePoint, OneDrive Known Folder Move, Teams collaboration features, sensitivity labels and security workflows get less value. Skipping training is a common reason customers feel M365 was "expensive but did not deliver".
How do I get a free M365 consultation?
Call +971 55 651 7843 or request a free M365 consultation. Share your user count, source platform and target timeline. A specialist will respond with an itemised proposal once the survey is done.
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