Google Chat is making it easy for you to ditch Microsoft Teams

(Image credit: Google)

Google admins can now migrate Microsoft Teams channels data to Chat
Customization, including date ranges, is supported
It’s available to all Google Workspace subscribers now

Google has launched a new offensive in the online collaboration market with a new service making it easier to migrate Microsoft Teams conversations into its own Chat service.

“We’re expanding our data migration experience to include the ability for Google Workspace admins to migrate conversations from channels in Microsoft Teams to spaces in Google Chat," the company noted in a Google Workspace updates blog post announcing the news.

The hope that that businesses can deploy Google Chat more easily by experiencing less downtime during the transition.

Teams-to-Chat migration is now even easier

Within the ‘Chat migration’ menu of Google Chat, admins can connect to opposing Microsoft accounts to import Teams data. Migration maps and identity maps can be uploaded as csv files, and admins will also have the option to enter the start date for messages to be migrated from.

“You can also run a delta migration, which will migrate any messages added to Teams channels since the primary migration. Messages that are already successfully migrated are skipped," Google added.

Admins can also produce reports based on completed migrations to identify content that skipped, failed or had warnings.

Moreover, the feature requires those taking the action to be Google super admins and Microsoft Teams Global Administrators.

Google said the feature is available to all Google Workspace users now, however a screenshot of the process shared shows a ‘Beta’ icon next to the ‘Chat migration’ heading. TechRadar Pro asked Google to confirm if the feature is now generally available or whether it remains in beta, but we didn’t get a response immediately.

Although Microsoft has settled a complaint that its bundling of Teams into Microsoft 365 puts competitors at a disadvantage, the company still faces distrust if only by its competitors.

Companies that still need to use the two platforms (and/or others) should consider enabling Mio. Google announced its interoperability with Teams and Zoom using this third-party service earlier in 2024.

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With several years’ experience freelancing in tech and automotive circles, Craig’s specific interests lie in technology that is designed to better our lives, including AI and ML, productivity aids, and smart fitness. He is also passionate about cars and the decarbonisation of personal transportation. As an avid bargain-hunter, you can be sure that any deal Craig finds is top value!