The countdown to SharePoint end of life: Insights from our migration readiness webinar

With SharePoint 2016 and 2019 reaching end of life in July 2026, organisations face an urgent deadline to modernise their collaboration and content platforms. In our latest bluesource + Arctera webinar, we explored what this means for IT leaders, data owners, and compliance teams, and how to prepare now for a smooth, secure, and cost-effective migration to SharePoint Online. 
 
If you missed the session, here’s a recap of the key insights and practical takeaways. 

1. Migration Is a Strategic Move, Not Just a Technical One 

Migration is more than moving files; it’s a strategic opportunity to rethink how your organisation collaborates, governs, and innovates. 

We discussed four core options: 

• Stay on-premises: Still possible but comes with high maintenance and compliance overhead. 

• Move to SharePoint Online: The preferred route for flexibility, scalability, and SaaS advantages. 

• Adopt a hybrid model: Offers gradual transition but adds governance complexity. 

• Explore alternative platforms: For example, M-Files for highly regulated environments. 

A successful migration strategy connects technology with business outcomes, enabling a more agile and resilient workplace. 

2. Plan Before You Move: Know Your Data and Dependencies 

Before migration, visibility is everything. Organisations need to know what data they have, how it’s used, and where it lives. 

Our experts highlighted five must-do steps: 

• Data Classification: Identify sensitive or business-critical information. 

• Legacy Workflows: Redesign unsupported components such as InfoPath. 

• Identity Strategy: Ensure seamless and secure user access. 

• User Adoption: Train and empower champions to drive engagement. 

• Information Architecture: Design a structure that supports modern collaboration and search. 

Preparation is the foundation of a successful migration, both technically and culturally. 

3. Strengthen Governance and Compliance with Microsoft Purview 

Governance and compliance are key pillars in any migration journey. Microsoft Purview provides a robust suite of tools to help organisations manage, protect, and regulate their data effectively. 

Capabilities include: 

• Data Classification and Sensitivity Labels to identify and protect critical content. 

• Information Protection with encryption, rights management, and labelling. 

• Data Loss Prevention (DLP) across SharePoint, Teams, Exchange, and endpoints. 

• Lifecycle Management to automate retention, archiving, and deletion. 

• Insider Risk Management to detect and mitigate internal threats. 

Automation and AI-driven labelling reduce human error and make compliance seamless across the Microsoft 365 ecosystem. 

4. Optimise and Reduce Risk with Arctera Insight 

Migrating data without proper assessment can lead to unnecessary cost and risk. That’s where Arctera Insight comes in, providing visibility, control, and optimisation before, during, and after migration. 

Arctera helps organisations: 

• Map and Classify Data to understand what’s business-critical and what’s redundant. 

• Identify Dark Data that inflates storage costs and compliance risk. 

• Optimise Storage by archiving or deleting stale content. 

• Automate Governance through defensible deletion workflows. 

• Empower End Users with tools like personal archives and AI-driven 'Insight Books' for fast eDiscovery and knowledge access. 

By using Arctera alongside Microsoft Purview, organisations can modernise confidently with reduced risk and improved governance. 

5. AI and Copilot: The Next Chapter of Intelligent Governance 

As Microsoft rolls out Copilot for Microsoft 365, AI is transforming the way organisations work with information. Crucially, Copilot respects Microsoft Purview sensitivity labels, ensuring generated content stays compliant and protected. 

AI-driven summarisation and contextual Q&A can help compliance and eDiscovery teams find insights faster without compromising control or data integrity. AI isn’t replacing governance; it’s enhancing it. 

What Organisations Should Do Now 

1. Start your data assessment today to avoid a lift-and-shift approach.
2. Define your migration strategy aligned to business and compliance goals.
3. Implement Microsoft Purview policies to secure and govern your data.
4. UseArcteraInsight to optimise storage and reduce risk. 
5. Invest in user adoptionprogrammesto ensure lasting success. 

Ready to Take the Next Step? 

We’ve joined forces with Arctera to help organisations simplify migration planning, strengthen data governance, and unlock smarter insights through automation and AI. 

If you missed our live session, it’s not too late to learn from our experts. Watch the on-demand webinar now to discover how bluesource and Arctera can help your organisation prepare for SharePoint end of life and move confidently to a secure, compliant, and future-ready cloud environment.