NWOS
Project detail · Nextcloud migration
← Back to proposal
Project · Workspace migration

Off Intermedia, onto your own stack.

A complete move from Intermedia's hosted email, file sharing, and unified communications onto a self-managed Nextcloud workspace running on NWOS infrastructure. Same email addresses, same files, same workflows. Different ownership.

Why move

Own your workspace, not rent it.

Intermedia bundles a lot - hosted Exchange, file sync, video, voice - but at the cost of paying a per-user subscription forever and storing your firm's data on a third party's servers. For a CPA practice, where client confidentiality and long-term data retention matter, that trade-off is worth re-examining.

Nextcloud is the open-source alternative most professional services firms move to when they outgrow hosted suites. Same core features (mail, files, calendar, contacts, video, office), self-managed on infrastructure you control. NWOS runs the infrastructure and handles the heavy lifting so you don't have to think about it.

What stays the same: your email addresses, your calendar invites, your shared folder layouts, your client-facing workflows. The change is invisible to your clients.
What's included

The six pieces of the migration.

Each of these is a distinct work item with its own checklist and acceptance criteria. They land in sequence with a planned cutover window so day-to-day work isn't interrupted.

1 Email server

Replace Intermedia's hosted Exchange with a private mail server running on NWOS infrastructure. Same SMTP/IMAP protocols every modern mail client supports.

  • Mailcow (Docker stack) or Postfix + Dovecot — chosen based on your preferred admin surface
  • Spam filtering, antivirus, DKIM/SPF/DMARC configured
  • Webmail (Roundcube or Nextcloud Mail) for browser access
  • Migration of existing inboxes (years of mail preserved)

2 Files & folders

Move everything in Intermedia SecuriSync to Nextcloud Files, with existing folder structure and share permissions intact.

  • Full transfer of current file tree with metadata preserved
  • Existing shares (internal & external) recreated in Nextcloud
  • Desktop and mobile sync clients reconfigured for staff
  • Client-facing portal links updated where applicable

3 Calendars & contacts

Export from Exchange via standard calendar/contact protocols, import into Nextcloud Calendar & Contacts.

  • All calendars and shared calendars moved over via CalDAV
  • Contact lists moved via CardDAV
  • Outlook, Apple Mail, and mobile (iOS/Android) reconfigured to point at the new server

4 Document collaboration

Replace any Office 365 / Exchange-based document collaboration with Nextcloud Office (powered by Collabora).

  • Word, Excel, PowerPoint compatible editing in the browser
  • Real-time collaboration on shared docs
  • Version history retained on every file

5 Domain & DNS

Update MX, A, autodiscover, and other DNS records to point at the new infrastructure. Planned cutover window minimizes downtime.

  • DNS audit and plan before any changes
  • Brief planned cutover window (typically < 30 min, off-hours)
  • TLS certificates issued and auto-renewed via Let's Encrypt

6 Training & handoff

A short walkthrough so staff are comfortable in the new tools from day one.

  • One-hour staff session covering the new web interfaces
  • Written cheat sheet for common tasks (sharing, search, mobile setup)
  • Direct NWOS support for the first 30 days post-cutover
Scope clarity

What's in, what's out.

Clear lines so there are no surprises later.

✓ Included in scope

  • Email migration (mailboxes, calendars, contacts)
  • File migration from SecuriSync to Nextcloud Files
  • Nextcloud Office for document editing
  • Up to 25 user accounts (additional users at cost)
  • DNS coordination and cutover window
  • Client device reconfiguration (Outlook, Mac Mail, iOS, Android)
  • Nextcloud Talk (chat & video) — optional add-on
  • 30 days of post-cutover support included

× Not in scope (separately quoted if needed)

  • VoIP / phone service replacement (we'll advise on options)
  • Heavy customization of Nextcloud apps
  • SSO / SAML integration with third-party identity providers
  • HIPAA-compliance configuration (a separate engagement)
  • Custom backup tier beyond standard daily backups
  • Hardware purchases (we use existing NWOS infrastructure)
Timeline

Roughly four weeks, end to end.

Discovery and setup happen quietly in the background. The visible cutover is brief and planned.

Week 1

Discovery & setup

Inventory current Intermedia footprint, confirm user list, provision NWOS infrastructure, install and configure Nextcloud + mail server.

Week 2

Data migration (background)

Sync mailboxes, files, calendars, and contacts to the new system in parallel with Intermedia still live. No user impact.

Week 3

Verification & pilot

One or two staff accounts cut over first. Verify everything works end-to-end before the full team moves.

Week 4

Cutover, training, handoff

Planned off-hours DNS cutover. Staff training session the next morning. NWOS on standby for the first 30 days.

Honest considerations

What to know going in.

Migration projects always have things worth flagging up front.

Email reputation: a new mail server starts with a clean (or absent) sender reputation. We pre-warm the IP and set up SPF/DKIM/DMARC properly, but expect a short period where some recipients' spam filters look at us harder. This typically resolves within 1-2 weeks.
Mobile sync setup: every staff phone needs a few minutes of reconfiguration on cutover day. We document this with screenshots and walk people through it.
Client-side caching: Outlook in particular caches mail aggressively. We schedule cutover when Outlook isn't actively in use to minimize re-sync surprises.
Ongoing administration: a self-hosted stack means NWOS handles security patches, version updates, and monitoring. This is built into the monthly hosting fee.
← Back to proposal More about Nextcloud