If your organization is still running on SharePoint 2016/2019, it’s time to act fast. That’s because on July 14, 2026, Microsoft officially ends support for both platforms, meaning no more patches, no security updates, no bug fixes, and serious risk exposure for companies still relying on this soon-to-be-redundant infrastructure.
And for those responsible for IT in global organizations, the stakes are even higher. SharePoint migrations don’t happen overnight, particularly hybrid and heavily-customized setups, so in this blog, we’ll be discussing how to prepare as well as sharing our best practices from our migration projects working with global businesses.
The added complexity of hybrid and customized setups
Any migration project can be time-consuming but hybrid migrations and those with lots of customization add to the complexity and therefore, the time.
Technical Complexity Slows Migration
Hybrid environments, with a mix of cloud and on-prem systems, mean that data, permissions and workflows are often fragmented across platforms. This makes consolidation far more complex than migrating from a solely on-prem setup.
Customizations don’t always translate
Many on-prem environments (especially in sectors like biotech, finance, and legal) rely on custom-built forms, workflows, and web parts that don’t have direct equivalents in SharePoint Online.
These features often require manual redevelopment using Power Platform, SPFx or Azure resources, increasing the timeline and effort needed.
Security and compliance risks
Unsupported on-prem servers (post-July 2026) will no longer receive security patches, leaving vulnerabilities exposed, causing potentially serious issues for highly-regulated industries.
Governance complexity
Hybrid systems can complicate governance, making it difficult to enforce consistent policies across environments. This can result in duplicate content, permission sprawl, and uncertainty about where information should live or how to access it.
Operational risk
Legacy servers often depend on specialized internal knowledge or outdated documentation, creating risk if key staff leave or systems fail. As Microsoft phases out older APIs and features, these setups also lose compatibility with modern tools, resulting in data silos and broken functionality.
Case study snapshot: Migrating a global enterprise from hybrid to SharePoint Online
We recently helped a multinational research organization migrate from a legacy, hybrid SharePoint environment to SharePoint Online.
The company had:
- Over 2,000 employees
- Presence in more than 30 countries
- Hundreds of SharePoint sites dating back over a decade
- A long-standing hybrid SharePoint environment
Their migration journey started years ago. But like many global firms, it had stalled.
Common blockers included:
- Custom workflows and forms that didn’t translate easily to the cloud
- Deep concerns about data protection and intellectual property
- Regional differences in process, culture, and language
- Lack of top-down sponsorship to drive change
Read on to find out how the Cloudwell team helped them reach their migration goals…
Cloudwell’s approach
1. Taking control and building a plan
Cloudwell stepped in to lead the project at the end of 2024, after being a collaborator for almost a year on the project. The first step in charge? Scope what was achievable. Using site analysis and a tailored scheduling model, we forecasted migration timelines, identified gaps in resourcing, and helped the client understand what it would take to meet their 2025 deadline.
2. Streamlined migration in batches
We standardized the migration approach across approximately 500 SharePoint sites and rolled out the process in manageable batches. Each site was assessed and the active sites were migrated, the inactive ones archived, without deleting so no data was lost. Every step was coordinated in partnership with Corporate Affairs to ensure consistency and clear comms.
3. Empowering teams, reducing support load
By moving to a flat site architecture and applying consistent branding, we gave teams full control of their new SharePoint sites. This meant cutting down on support tickets and creating new self-service capabilities. Previously complex admin tasks like managing access or updating content became fast and intuitive.
4. Seamless user adoption
We ran sessions with global teams, introduced training resources, and showcased just how easy SharePoint Online is to manage. We helped users transition from legacy systems to modern, collaborative workspaces, without losing their data or productivity.
5. Bridging the functionality gap
Many teams relied on legacy calendars with recurring events, something not natively supported in modern SharePoint. Cloudwell’s Calendar Overlay product filled that gap, enabling an easy transition to the cloud without sacrificing important historical data or scheduling tools.
6. Improved collaboration organization wide
We encouraged teams to use SharePoint for cross-functional communication and Microsoft Teams for internal collaboration. Where needed, we connected users with existing Teams or set up new ones, whilst educating them on the hidden value of the SharePoint site behind every team.
7. Security first
Security was non-negotiable. We implemented Microsoft 365 features like domain-restricted sharing and time-limited access to ensure sensitive data stayed protected, especially critical in a highly regulated industry.
8. Building confidence in modern AI tools
Although the organization was already using ChatGPT for productivity gains, the tool doesn’t come without its security risks. So, the Cloudwell team introduced users to Copilot for Microsoft 365, showing how it could surface relevant content, support better search, and boost productivity, all within a secure Microsoft 365 environment.
SharePoint 2016/2019 Migration: Lessons Learned for Global IT Teams
So, if you’re facing a 2026 migration deadline, here are five things to keep in mind:
- Time is not on your side. You won’t make it in time if you wait another year. Even straightforward migrations take time at global scale.
- Old, customized SharePoint sites are hard to standardize. Plan for workarounds using Power Platform, or if necessary SPFx or Azure services.
- Factor regional differences into your planning. Time zones, languages, legacy content, and more.
- Empowering site owners reduces IT overhead. Flat architectures and decentralized control save time.
- Governance isn’t optional. You need a steering group, comms support, and a rollout plan.
Let Cloudwell help
Migrating from SharePoint on-prem to SharePoint Online isn’t just about ticking a box. It’s an opportunity to modernize how your organization works, communicates, and collaborates.
But it takes time, planning, and the right expertise.
Cloudwell has helped many organizations migrate and modernize their digital workplace and our team are adept at meeting critical compliance deadlines.
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If your organization is still running on SharePoint 2016/2019 now is the time to act.
Reach out to the Cloudwell team and let’s get started.