Migrating from Teams or Zoom to Mandraki

Why Organisations Are Moving

The decision to migrate away from Microsoft Teams or Zoom is rarely taken lightly. These platforms are deeply embedded in daily workflows, and switching costs are real. Yet a growing number of European organisations are making this move, driven by concerns that no amount of configuration can resolve within the existing platforms.

Data sovereignty. Teams and Zoom are operated by US-headquartered companies subject to the CLOUD Act. Even when data is nominally stored in European regions, the corporate parent can be compelled to disclose it under US law. For organisations handling sensitive data, this jurisdictional exposure is increasingly unacceptable.

Regulatory pressure. European regulators — particularly in Germany, France, and the Netherlands — have issued guidance questioning or restricting the use of US-controlled collaboration tools in public administration and regulated industries.

Concentration risk. Dependence on a single US vendor for email, messaging, video, file storage, and identity creates a single point of failure that extends beyond technology into geopolitics.

Cost and complexity. Enterprise licensing for Microsoft 365 or Zoom has grown increasingly complex, with features scattered across tiers and add-ons that make total cost of ownership difficult to predict.

Planning the Migration

Phase 1: Assessment (Weeks 1-2)

Begin by mapping your current usage. Identify which Teams or Zoom features your organisation actively uses versus those that are available but unused. Common categories include:

• Video conferencing — scheduled meetings, ad-hoc calls, webinars
• Messaging — channels, direct messages, threaded discussions
• File sharing — documents shared in channels or meetings
• Integrations — calendar, email, project management tools
• Recording — meeting recordings and their storage
• Identity — SSO configuration, user provisioning

This inventory determines the scope of migration and highlights any dependencies that need to be addressed before switching.

Phase 2: Parallel Running (Weeks 3-6)

Deploy Mandraki alongside your existing platform. This phase is about building familiarity and confidence, not forcing an immediate switch.

• Configure Mandraki with your identity provider (SAML or OIDC) so users can log in with their existing credentials.
• Set up your organisation structure — teams, channels, and permissions.
• Run a pilot with a willing department or project team. Let them use Mandraki for their daily standups, project discussions, and ad-hoc calls.
• Collect feedback and address any integration gaps.

Parallel running reduces risk. Users have a fallback, and IT teams can resolve issues before they affect the entire organisation.

Phase 3: Data Migration (Weeks 5-7)

Mandraki provides import tools for migrating historical data from Teams and Zoom, where those platforms make data available for export.

• Message history. Teams channel messages and Zoom chat logs can be exported and imported into corresponding Mandraki channels, preserving timestamps and sender attribution.
• Files. Documents shared in Teams channels can be migrated to Mandraki’s file storage, maintaining folder structures and access permissions.
• Recordings. Meeting recordings can be uploaded to Mandraki with their associated metadata.

Not all historical data may need to be migrated. Many organisations find that archiving old data and starting fresh in the new platform is simpler and cleaner. The choice depends on your compliance and operational requirements.

Phase 4: Cutover (Weeks 7-8)

Once the pilot is successful and data migration is complete, transition the broader organisation.

• Communicate the switch clearly, with a specific date and support resources.
• Disable new meeting creation in the old platform while keeping it available in read-only mode for accessing historical content.
• Monitor adoption metrics and provide responsive support during the first week.

Phase 5: Decommission (Weeks 10-12)

After a grace period, decommission the old platform.

• Export any remaining data needed for compliance or archival.
• Revoke the old platform’s access to your identity provider.
• Update your vendor register and data processing records.

What You Gain

After migration, your organisation operates on a collaboration platform that is European-hosted, end-to-end encrypted, and free from US jurisdictional exposure. Your data residency is guaranteed by architecture, not by contract. Your encryption keys are under your control. And your communication infrastructure is independent of any foreign government’s policy decisions.

The migration requires effort. The result — genuine sovereignty over your organisation’s communications — is worth it.