Many small offices in the Coachella Valley first got their business email by adding "Microsoft 365" to a GoDaddy domain order. It works, and for a while that is enough. But as a business grows, a lot of owners find that the GoDaddy version gets in the way. Here is what is different, why people move, and what a move actually involves.
Is GoDaddy's Microsoft 365 the "real" Microsoft 365?
Your email does run on Microsoft's servers. The difference is who controls the account. When you buy Microsoft 365 through GoDaddy, GoDaddy manages the Microsoft account for you, and you usually get a simplified GoDaddy control panel instead of full access to Microsoft's own admin tools. Billing and support also go through GoDaddy rather than Microsoft or your IT provider.
Why businesses move it
- Security settings you can't reach. Features such as conditional access, detailed sign-in logs and some security policies are easier to manage, or only available, with full admin access.
- Device management. Managing company laptops and phones with Microsoft Intune works best when you control the whole Microsoft account.
- Choosing your plan. A direct account lets you pick the exact Microsoft 365 plan each person needs and change it as you grow.
- One place for support. Your IT provider can see and fix problems directly, instead of opening a ticket with a reseller.
What the move involves
The good news: you don't have to move your email anywhere. Your mailboxes, files and settings already live in Microsoft 365. The move, often called defederating from GoDaddy, takes that same Microsoft account out of GoDaddy's management and hands full control to you. There is no data migration. In broad strokes:
- Review what you have. Note your users, licenses and any shared mailboxes so nothing is overlooked.
- Pick the plan. Decide which Microsoft 365 license each person needs going forward. Not everyone needs the same one.
- Plan a quiet time. Usually an evening or weekend, and tell staff what to expect.
- Defederate. Remove GoDaddy's management from the account, set up direct Microsoft licensing, and make sure you hold the global admin access.
- Check sign-ins. Staff may need to reset their password or sign in again in Outlook and on their phones.
- Secure it. Turn on multi-factor sign-in for everyone and review who has admin rights, now that you have the full Microsoft security tools.
Will we lose email during the move?
No. Because your mailboxes stay exactly where they are, nothing is copied and no email is lost. Most staff notice little more than signing in again. The details still matter, though: licensing has to be in place before GoDaddy's is removed, and someone needs admin access at every step, so it is worth having it done by someone who has done it before.
Can we do it ourselves?
It is possible, but the order of the steps matters, and a mistake can leave people unable to sign in until it is fixed. For most offices it is worth having someone who has done it before. That is the kind of move we plan and run for local offices, with support afterwards.
Next step
If you are not sure whether your Microsoft 365 is managed by GoDaddy, or what moving it would involve for your office, we can check during a free IT assessment and give you a plain-English plan.