How to ditch Microsoft? The complete guide to migrating every product to Infomaniak

Microsoft is everywhere. Outlook, Teams, OneDrive, Word, Excel, SharePoint, Exchange… The Redmond ecosystem has embedded itself so deeply into businesses that it seems irreplaceable. Yet more and more European organisations are choosing to break free. Digital sovereignty, data protection, controlled costs, environmental ethics: the reasons are numerous and legitimate. This comprehensive guide shows you, product by product, how to migrate your entire Microsoft environment to Infomaniak, the Swiss hosting provider that stands as Europe's most credible alternative.

Discover Infomaniak's kSuite

Table of contents

1. Why leave Microsoft? The reasons driving migration
2. Complete mapping: every Microsoft product and its Infomaniak alternative
3. Outlook / Exchange → Infomaniak Mail
4. OneDrive → kDrive
5. Teams → kChat & kMeet
6. Office 365 (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) → kSuite
7. SharePoint → kDrive & collaborative tools
8. Calendar and Contacts → Infomaniak Calendar & Contacts
9. Azure / Hosting → Infomaniak Hosting
10. Microsoft Forms → Newsletter & third-party tools
11. Migration methodology: the 7 key steps
12. Real-world feedback and case studies
13. Detailed cost comparison
14. FAQ: the most frequently asked questions
15. Conclusion: taking back control of your IT

1. Why leave Microsoft? The reasons driving migration

The question is no longer "if" but "when". European businesses are becoming increasingly aware of the issues surrounding their technological dependency. Here are the main reasons motivating a departure from the Microsoft ecosystem.

1.1 Digital sovereignty: a strategic imperative

Since the adoption of the US Cloud Act in 2018, data hosted by American companies — including data stored on European servers — can be seized by US authorities without the user being informed. In practical terms, your professional emails, confidential files and client data stored on Microsoft 365 are potentially accessible by American intelligence services.

This is not theory. In 2020, the Court of Justice of the European Union invalidated the Privacy Shield (Schrems II ruling), judging that the American legal framework did not offer an adequate level of protection for European personal data. The Data Privacy Framework that replaced it remains contested and could suffer the same fate.

1.2 Skyrocketing costs

Microsoft has significantly increased its prices in recent years. The strategy is clear: make leaving difficult while gradually raising prices. Here is the price evolution of Microsoft 365 Business Basic:

And these prices don't account for the additional licences often needed: Microsoft Defender, Intune, Azure AD Premium, Copilot… For a 50-person company with Microsoft 365 Business Standard (€12.50/month/user), the annual bill reaches €7,500. With common add-ons, it easily exceeds €10,000/year.

1.3 Vendor lock-in: technological imprisonment

The more Microsoft products you use, the harder it becomes to leave. This is the principle of vendor lock-in. Teams is integrated into Outlook, which depends on Exchange, which is linked to Azure AD, which feeds SharePoint… This interdependency is intentional: it makes you captive.

With Infomaniak, products use open standards: IMAP/SMTP for email, CalDAV/CardDAV for calendars and contacts, WebDAV for storage. You remain free to switch at any time.

1.4 Environmental impact

Microsoft's datacenters consume astronomical amounts of energy and water. In 2022, Microsoft consumed 6.4 billion litres of water to cool its servers — a 34% increase in one year, primarily driven by AI.

Infomaniak, by contrast, is ISO 14001 certified (environmental management), uses 100% renewable energy, and designed its datacenters to be cooled by outside air, without artificial air conditioning. The company also offsets 200% of its carbon emissions.

1.5 GDPR and compliance

Using Microsoft 365 to process personal data poses a genuine GDPR compliance problem. Several European data protection authorities (CNIL in France, AEPD in Spain, Datatilsynet in Denmark) have issued warnings about using Microsoft 365 in the public sector and in businesses handling sensitive data.

With Infomaniak, your data stays in Switzerland, a country recognised by the EU as providing an adequate level of protection (European Commission adequacy decision). Your GDPR compliance is natively assured.

2. Complete mapping: every Microsoft product and its Infomaniak alternative

Before diving into the details of each migration, here is an overview of the correspondences between Microsoft products and Infomaniak solutions:

As you can see, the vast majority of Microsoft products have an Infomaniak equivalent with an excellent compatibility level. Let's now dive into the details of each migration.

3. Outlook / Exchange → Infomaniak Mail

This is often the starting point — and the most critical component — of any migration. Email is at the heart of business communication. Good news: it's also one of the simplest and best-documented migrations.

3.1 What Infomaniak Mail offers

Infomaniak's Mail Service is not just basic email hosting. It's a complete professional solution that competes directly with Exchange Online:

• Generous storage – Up to 25 GB per mailbox (expandable)
• Modern webmail – Complete and intuitive web interface
• Standard IMAP/SMTP – Compatible with all mail clients (Thunderbird, Apple Mail, Outlook…)
• Built-in anti-spam and antivirus
• Unlimited aliases – Add as many alternative addresses as needed
• Assisted migration – Built-in tool to import from Exchange/Office 365
• SPF, DKIM, DMARC – Complete email security
• Human support 7 days a week based in Switzerland

3.2 Email migration steps

Migrating from Outlook/Exchange to Infomaniak Mail follows 5 main steps:

Step 1: Inventory of mailboxes

Log into your Microsoft 365 administration and export the list of all mailboxes:

• Individual mailboxes (john.smith@company.com)
• Shared mailboxes (contact@, billing@, support@)
• Aliases (john@company.com → john.smith@company.com)
• Distribution lists
• Size of each mailbox

Step 2: Create mailboxes at Infomaniak

In the Infomaniak Manager, create the Mail service then each mailbox:

1. Order the Mail service for your domain
2. Create each mailbox with the same email address
3. Add the necessary aliases
4. Set temporary passwords

Step 3: Data migration with imapsync

The open-source tool imapsync transfers all emails, folders and metadata:

# Migrate a mailbox from Microsoft 365 to Infomaniak
imapsync \
  --host1 outlook.office365.com --user1 john@company.com --password1 "Password365" \
  --host2 mail.infomaniak.com --user2 john@company.com --password2 "PasswordInfomaniak" \
  --ssl1 --ssl2 \
  --automap \
  --exclude "Conversation History|Social Activity Notifications"

The --automap flag automatically converts folder names (Inbox, Sent Items, etc.). The process is incremental: you can run it multiple times, only new messages are transferred.

Step 4: DNS switchover

On D-Day, update your domain's MX records to point to Infomaniak:

# Old MX records (Microsoft 365)
# MX 0 company-com.mail.protection.outlook.com

# New MX records (Infomaniak)
MX 1 mta-gw.infomaniak.ch

# Updated SPF record
TXT "v=spf1 include:spf.infomaniak.ch ~all"

# DKIM (provided by Infomaniak in the Manager)
# CNAME record to add following the instructions

Step 5: Client configuration

Final step: reconfigure each user's email client. Good news — Infomaniak supports autodiscovery, so most clients configure themselves automatically. For manual configuration:

4. OneDrive → kDrive

OneDrive is Microsoft's cloud storage service. Its Infomaniak equivalent is kDrive, and honestly, kDrive has nothing to envy — it actually surpasses OneDrive in several areas.

4.1 Why kDrive is superior to OneDrive

4.2 Migrating data from OneDrive to kDrive

Several methods are available to migrate your files:

Method 1: Via the web interface (small volumes)

For volumes under a few GB, the simplest method is drag and drop:

1. Download your files from OneDrive
2. Upload them to kDrive via the web interface

Method 2: Via Rclone (large volumes)

Rclone is the ideal tool for large-volume migrations. It transfers directly from cloud to cloud, without going through your machine:

# Configure the OneDrive source
rclone config
# → Choose "New remote" → "onedrive" → Follow OAuth instructions

# Configure the kDrive destination (WebDAV)
rclone config
# → Choose "New remote" → "webdav"
# → URL: https://connect.drive.infomaniak.com
# → Vendor: Other
# → User: your_email@company.com
# → Password: kDrive password

# Launch the migration
rclone copy onedrive: kdrive: --progress --transfers 8 --checkers 16

# Verify integrity after migration
rclone check onedrive: kdrive:

Method 3: Via desktop sync

If your files are already synced locally via the OneDrive application:

1. Install the kDrive desktop application
2. Configure the sync folder
3. Move your files from the OneDrive folder to the kDrive folder
4. Wait for complete synchronisation
5. Uninstall OneDrive

5. Teams → kChat & kMeet

Microsoft Teams has become the default internal communication tool in many businesses. Infomaniak offers two complementary alternatives: kChat for instant messaging and kMeet for video conferencing.

5.1 kChat: team messaging

kChat is natively integrated into kSuite and offers the essential features of Teams:

• Discussion channels organised by topic or project
• Direct messages between team members
• File sharing integrated with kDrive
• Configurable notifications
• Mobile apps for iOS and Android
• Conversation history search

5.2 kMeet: video conferencing without compromise

kMeet is Infomaniak's video conferencing solution, built on Jitsi (open-source technology). Its advantages over Teams:

5.3 Migration strategy from Teams

Migration from Teams is primarily organisational rather than technical, as Teams conversation history is not easily exportable. Here is the recommended strategy:

1. Export shared files from Teams (they're stored in SharePoint) — migrate them to kDrive
2. Archive important conversations by exporting from Teams administration (EML or JSON format)
3. Recreate the channel structure in kChat (channels by project, team, topic)
4. Train the teams on kChat and kMeet — the interface is intuitive, adoption is quick
5. Set a switchover date and communicate clearly: "From [date], all internal communication moves to kChat"

6. Office 365 (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) → kSuite

This is often the migration that worries users the most. Word, Excel and PowerPoint have been used daily for decades. kSuite, integrated into kDrive, offers a credible alternative thanks to OnlyOffice.

6.1 The kSuite office suite

kSuite integrates OnlyOffice, an online office suite that offers native compatibility with Microsoft formats (.docx, .xlsx, .pptx). Unlike Google Docs which uses its own formats, OnlyOffice works directly with Office formats — no conversion, no formatting loss.

Word processor (Word equivalent)

• Full .docx document editing
• Advanced layout (styles, headers/footers, columns, tables)
• Track changes and collaborative comments
• PDF export
• Document templates

Spreadsheet (Excel equivalent)

• Advanced formulas and functions (VLOOKUP, pivot tables, limited macros)
• Charts and visualisations
• Filters and sorting
• Conditional formatting
• Native .xlsx import/export

Presentations (PowerPoint equivalent)

• Create .pptx slideshows
• Animations and transitions
• Presenter mode
• Real-time collaboration

6.2 Compatibility: what works, what needs attention

Let's be honest and transparent about compatibility levels:

6.3 Migrating Office files

The good news: there's no conversion needed. kSuite works natively with .docx, .xlsx and .pptx formats. Your files will work as-is once on kDrive.

1. Migrate your files to kDrive (see section 4 — OneDrive → kDrive)
2. Open them directly in kSuite — they just work
3. Check complex files (advanced layouts, specific formulas)
4. Identify and handle special cases (VBA macros, add-ins)

7. SharePoint → kDrive & collaborative tools

SharePoint is probably the most complex Microsoft component to replace, as it's used in very different ways across organisations: intranet, document management, workflows, forms, team sites…

7.1 Identify your SharePoint usage

Before migrating, categorise your use cases:

7.2 Migrating document libraries

SharePoint document libraries are essentially organised folders with metadata. To migrate them to kDrive:

1. Export files from SharePoint (bulk download or via Rclone with the OneDrive connector which also accesses SharePoint)
2. Recreate the folder structure in kDrive respecting the existing hierarchy
3. Upload files to kDrive
4. Reconfigure sharing permissions (read-only, edit, admin)
5. Document the equivalences so users can find their bearings

# SharePoint migration via Rclone (OneDrive Business also accesses SharePoint)
rclone copy onedrive:"Shared Documents/Marketing Team" kdrive:"Marketing Team" \
  --progress \
  --transfers 8 \
  --log-file migration-sharepoint.log \
  --log-level INFO

7.3 Replacing the SharePoint intranet

If you use SharePoint as an intranet, several options are available:

• WordPress on Infomaniak – The most flexible solution. Infomaniak offers managed WordPress hosting with 1-click installation. Ideal for a modern intranet with access management.
• Wiki.js – For a technical knowledge base, Wiki.js is an excellent open-source alternative that you can host on Infomaniak.
• Static solution – For a simple intranet, a static site hosted on Infomaniak web hosting with basic authentication may suffice.

8. Calendar and Contacts → Infomaniak Calendar & Contacts

Often overlooked during migration, calendars and contacts are nonetheless essential for daily work.

8.1 Calendar: from Exchange to CalDAV

The Infomaniak Mail service includes a full calendar accessible from the webmail or any CalDAV-compatible client:

• Multiple calendars — Personal, professional, projects
• Shared calendars — Configurable visibility and rights
• Invitations — Send and receive invitations (standard iCal format)
• Reminders — Customisable notifications
• Mobile sync — Native iOS and Android (CalDAV)

Calendar migration

1. Export from Outlook: File → Open & Export → Export to a file → iCalendar format (.ics)
2. Import into Infomaniak: Webmail → Calendar → Import → Select the .ics file

For shared calendars, each member must export and import their own calendar, then recreate the shares in the Infomaniak interface.

8.2 Contacts: from Exchange to CardDAV

Same logic for contacts:

1. Export from Outlook: File → Open & Export → Export to a file → Comma Separated Values (.csv) or vCard (.vcf)
2. Import into Infomaniak: Webmail → Contacts → Import → Select the file

The vCard (.vcf) format is recommended as it better preserves information than CSV (contact photos, multiple fields, etc.).

9. Azure / Hosting → Infomaniak Hosting

If you use Microsoft Azure to host websites, applications or services, Infomaniak offers several alternatives depending on your needs.

9.1 Infomaniak hosting options

9.2 Jelastic Cloud: Infomaniak's PaaS platform

Jelastic Cloud is Infomaniak's answer to advanced hosting needs. It's a PaaS (Platform as a Service) platform that allows you to:

• Deploy applications in Node.js, Python, Java, PHP, Ruby, Go, .NET
• Use custom Docker containers
• Set up automatic scaling (resource adjustment based on traffic)
• Manage databases (MySQL, PostgreSQL, MariaDB, MongoDB, Redis)
• Configure load balancers and clusters

The major advantage of Jelastic Cloud is its pay-per-use billing: you only pay for actually consumed resources, like Azure, but with data hosted in Switzerland.

9.3 Swiss Backup: S3-compatible storage

If you use Azure Blob Storage for backups or large file storage, Infomaniak's Swiss Backup offers S3-compatible storage. This means your existing applications that use the S3 API can be migrated by simply changing the endpoint and credentials.

10. Microsoft Forms → Newsletter & third-party tools

Microsoft Forms is used to create forms, surveys and quizzes. Infomaniak doesn't offer a direct equivalent, but several solutions exist:

10.1 For newsletters and email campaigns

Infomaniak offers a built-in Newsletter tool that is far more powerful than Forms for marketing campaigns:

• Newsletter creation with drag-and-drop editor
• Contact list management
• Open and click statistics
• Embeddable registration forms
• Native GDPR compliance

10.2 For forms and surveys

To replace Microsoft Forms, you can use:

• Tally (tally.so) – Free, privacy-respecting, excellent for forms
• LimeSurvey – Open source, self-hostable on Infomaniak
• Framaforms – Free and open source, hosted in France

11. Migration methodology: the 7 key steps

Now that you know the product-by-product correspondences, here is the recommended methodology to carry out your migration from start to finish.

Step 1: Complete audit of your Microsoft environment

Before any technical action, carry out a comprehensive inventory:

• Active licences — How many users, what types of licences?
• Services in use — Email, OneDrive, Teams, SharePoint, others?
• Data volumes — Mailbox sizes, OneDrive/SharePoint space used
• Integrations — Connected third-party applications (CRM, ERP, e-signature)
• Critical dependencies — VBA macros, Power Automate, Power BI, Azure AD
• User habits — Which tools are actually used daily?

Step 2: Order and prepare Infomaniak services

Create your Infomaniak ecosystem alongside Microsoft (temporary coexistence):

1. Order kSuite (includes Mail, kDrive, kChat, kMeet, office suite)
2. Create all mailboxes with the same addresses
3. Configure kDrive spaces with the target folder structure
4. Create kChat channels matching your Teams channels
5. Test access with a pilot group of 2-3 users

Step 3: User training

The success of a migration depends 80% on people and 20% on technology. Prepare your teams:

• Organise demonstration sessions of Infomaniak webmail, kDrive, kChat
• Distribute quick guides ("how to send an email", "how to share a file")
• Identify ambassadors in each department who will help their colleagues
• Communicate a clear schedule with key dates

Step 4: Pre-migration of large data

Start migrating the heaviest data before the switchover:

1. Emails — First imapsync synchronisation (may take several days for large mailboxes)
2. kDrive files — OneDrive/SharePoint to kDrive migration via Rclone
3. Calendars and contacts — .ics and .vcf export/import

This pre-migration can run in the background while users continue working on Microsoft.

Step 5: D-Day — Switchover

On switchover day, ideally a Friday evening or weekend:

1. Final imapsync sync (delta since pre-migration)
2. DNS switchover — Update MX records
3. Verification — Send test emails from external addresses
4. Communication — Inform all users that the switchover is effective

Step 6: Post-migration support (D+1 to D+14)

The first two weeks after switchover are crucial:

• Set up a dedicated support channel (email, phone, kChat)
• Plan reinforced availability for the first few days
• Document issues encountered and their solutions
• Run a final imapsync sync 48 hours after switchover to catch the last emails that arrived at Microsoft

Step 7: Closure and decommissioning

After 30 days of stable operation:

1. Verify that all users are working exclusively on Infomaniak
2. Export a final backup from Microsoft 365 (for legal archiving if needed)
3. Cancel Microsoft licences (watch out for contractual notice periods)
4. Delete Microsoft accounts after the desired retention period
5. Celebrate — You've taken back control of your IT!

12. Real-world feedback and case studies

Many businesses have already made the switch. Here are typical scenarios we encounter at InfoSwitch.

12.1 Law firm (12 users)

12.2 Industrial SME (45 users)

12.3 Non-profit organisation (25 users)

13. Detailed cost comparison

Let's talk numbers. Here is a realistic cost comparison for a 20-user company:

Over 5 years, that's more than €7,000 in savings for a 20-person company — not counting Microsoft's predictable future price increases. And these figures don't include the gains in GDPR compliance and digital sovereignty, which are difficult to quantify but strategically essential.

Get a personalised kSuite quote

14. FAQ: the most frequently asked questions

Will I lose emails during the migration?

No. The imapsync migration methodology allows incremental synchronisation. Emails continue to arrive normally throughout the pre-migration phase. During the DNS switchover, a final sync catches the last messages. There is zero data loss if the procedure is followed correctly.

Can my colleagues still use Outlook?

Yes. Outlook is a mail client that works with any IMAP/SMTP server. You can absolutely use Outlook with Infomaniak servers. Your colleagues keep the interface they know — only the backend server changes. However, some Exchange-specific features (like native shared mailboxes) will work differently.

What about emails sent to old links?

Email addresses remain identical. john@company.com continues to work exactly as before — only the server receiving the messages changes. For your external contacts, the migration is completely transparent.

How long does the complete migration take?

It depends on the size of your organisation:

• Small business (< 10 users): 1-2 days
• SME (10-50 users): 1-2 weeks
• Mid-size company (50-200 users): 2-4 weeks
• Large enterprise (200+ users): 1-3 months (wave-based migration)

What if it doesn't suit me? Can I go back to Microsoft?

Yes. This is actually one of the great advantages of open standards. Since Infomaniak uses IMAP/SMTP, CalDAV, CardDAV and WebDAV, you can migrate in the other direction just as easily. You are never locked in.

Can InfoSwitch help with this migration?

Absolutely. It's our core business. We support companies of all sizes in their migration from Microsoft 365 to Infomaniak. Audit, planning, technical migration, user training, post-migration support — we handle everything from A to Z.

Are the mobile apps as good as Microsoft's?

The kDrive and kChat apps are available on iOS and Android and are well designed. For email, you can use any mail app (Apple Mail, Gmail, Thunderbird, or even Outlook Mobile) since Infomaniak servers use standard IMAP/SMTP.

What about technical support?

Infomaniak offers 7-day-a-week customer support, provided by teams based in Switzerland (no offshore outsourcing). The support is renowned for its quality and responsiveness — a notable change from Microsoft support which can be labyrinthine.

15. Conclusion: taking back control of your IT

Ditching Microsoft is no longer a pipe dream. It's a concrete reality that thousands of European businesses experience every day. The Infomaniak ecosystem — with kSuite, Mail, kDrive, kChat, kMeet — offers a complete, sovereign and cost-effective alternative to Microsoft 365.

Let's summarise the key benefits:

• Sovereignty — Your data in Switzerland, protected by Swiss law
• Savings — 40 to 60% reduction on your IT bill
• GDPR compliance — Native and without legal grey areas
• Environmental ethics — 100% renewable energy, 200% carbon offset
• Freedom — Open standards, no vendor lock-in
• Human support — In Switzerland, 7 days a week, responsive

Migration requires preparation, method and appropriate support. But it's well worth the effort. Every day spent on Microsoft is a day where your data remains exposed to American extraterritorial laws, where your bill keeps growing, and where your dependency deepens.

The best time to migrate is now.

Start my migration to Infomaniak