Telecel Ghana Unifies Collaboration with Microsoft 365 Tenant Migration
Zero downtime
during full tenant migration cutover
15-20% cost savings
on Microsoft 365 licensing
20% fewer tickets
in the first month post-migration
“Our partnership with Reliance Infosystems helped us deliver a secure, seamless tenant migration during a very critical time. They ensured we stayed connected, operational, and secure — all without interrupting our business.”
— Mr. Joseph Lamptey, Office IT Specialist, Telecel Ghana
Customer Name
Telecel Ghana
Industry
Telecommunications
Services Deployed
Microsoft 365 Tenant Migration
Location
Accra, Ghana
Challenges
Telecel Ghana was at a major point of transition after acquiring Vodafone Ghana. The organization needed to consolidate its Microsoft 365 environment and create a single, secure platform for collaboration. The key challenges included:
- Fragmented collaboration across business units
- No centralized identity lifecycle management
- Security blind spots and limited access control
- Increased IT overhead
- Duplicate Microsoft 365 licensing costs
- Inconsistent user experience during the transition
For a telecommunications company where availability, communication, and speed are critical, Telecel needed a migration approach that would keep employees connected while improving control and governance.
Solution
Reliance Infosystems led the end-to-end tenant-to-tenant migration, with Cloudware Africa providing local engagement, stakeholder communication, and on-ground coordination. The project covered Exchange Online mailbox migration, OneDrive and SharePoint Online transfer, Microsoft Teams configuration, cross-tenant access during cutover, secure data transfer, post-migration optimization, and identity lifecycle design with Microsoft Entra ID Governance.
Why The Solutions Used
Mergers and acquisitions often create complex technology environments with separate systems, duplicated licenses, and disconnected identities. Telecel Ghana’s transformation shows how a well-planned Microsoft 365 tenant migration can help organizations simplify operations, reduce cost, strengthen governance, and keep employees productive during major business change.
Impact
The migration helped Telecel Ghana move from a fragmented Microsoft 365 setup to a more unified, secure, and manageable environment:
- 1. Zero User Downtime — Employees retained access to mail, files, and Microsoft Teams during the cutover without interrupting daily work.
- 2. Reduced Licensing Costs — Eliminating license duplication across disconnected tenants reduced overall Microsoft 365 licensing costs by 15–20%.
- 3. Lower IT Overhead — Consolidating administration into a single Microsoft Entra ID environment made it easier to manage users, access, and governance.
- 4. Improved User Experience — Collaboration became smoother and more consistent across teams from a unified environment.
- 5. Fewer Helpdesk Tickets — Ticket volume dropped by 20% in the first month, showing a smoother transition.
- 6. Faster Onboarding — Centralized identity and access provisioning made it easier to onboard new staff efficiently.
Future Plans
The successful migration was delivered through a joint partnership between Reliance Infosystems and Cloudware Africa. Telecel now has a stronger foundation for collaboration, security, and long-term digital growth through Microsoft 365 and modern workplace solutions.
Telecel Ghana Unifies Collaboration with Seamless Microsoft 365 Tenant Migration
Customer
Telecel Ghana
Region
Ghana
Partner
Reliance Infosystems (in partnership with Cloudware Africa)
Solution
End-to-end Microsoft 365 tenant-to-tenant migration with modern security and identity architecture
Business Problem
Disconnected tenants limited collaboration, visibility, and governance following a major acquisition. Disconnected tenants limited collaboration, visibility, and governance following a major acquisition.
Business Problem
Telecel Ghana, a leading telecom operator in West Africa, encountered growing complexity following its acquisition of Vodafone Ghana. Operating on a legacy Microsoft 365 tenant, the company faced several challenges:
Key Issues
- Fragmented collaboration across business units
- No centralized identity lifecycle management
- Security blind spots and limited control over access
- Increased IT overhead and license duplication
- Inconsistent user experience during digital transitions
To address this, Telecel required a seamless migration to a secure, unified Microsoft 365 tenant that would enhance operational agility and support future growth.
Solution Deployed
Reliance Infosystems led the tenant-to-tenant migration project, ensuring minimal disruption and maximum control. The architecture was designed for zero-downtime execution, secure data transfer, and post-migration optimization across the M365 environment.
Technologies and Platforms Used
- Migration Tools: BitTitan
- Application Whitelisting & Device Control: Enforce security policies by restricting unauthorized applications and USB devices.
Core Migration Services
- Exchange Online mailbox migration
- OneDrive and SharePoint Online transfer using native tools
- Microsoft Teams configuration, including chat and channel continuity
- Cross-tenant Azure AD access during cutover
- Unified identity lifecycle design using Microsoft Entra ID Governance (in progress)
Reliance Differentiation
- Flawless Execution: No user downtime during migration cutover
- Governance-Ready Architecture: Designed for long-term scalability and compliance
- License Optimization: Post-merger rationalization led to lower M365 costs
- On-Ground Coordination: Cloudware managed local user engagement and communication
Business and Community Impact
Commercial Impact
- 15–20% reduction in overall Microsoft 365 licensing costs by eliminating dual-tenant license overlap post-acquisition.
- Reduced ongoing IT overhead by consolidating admin and security management into a single Entra ID environment.
- Zero user downtime during the cutover phase — employees retained access to mail, files, and Teams.
- Helpdesk ticket volume dropped by 20% in the first month post-migration, attributed to a smoother, simpler user experience.
- Accelerated onboarding for new staff with centralized identity and access provisioning.
Community and Societal Impact
With enhanced collaboration and security through the new Microsoft 365 environment, Telecel Ghana can now deliver more responsive and reliable service experiences to customers. The migration also strengthened data governance and compliance practices, helping safeguard user information while aligning with industry standards.
This project demonstrates how cloud modernization can elevate both business performance and customer trust within a growing digital ecosystem.
Joint Partnerships
The successful delivery of Telecel’s tenant-to-tenant migration was made possible through a strategic partnership between Reliance Infosystems and Cloudware, combining technical expertise, regional presence, and a deep understanding of Microsoft technologies.
- Reliance Infosystems served as the lead digital transformation partner, bringing in deep Microsoft 365 expertise, end-to-end migration strategy, and enterprise-grade change management frameworks.
- Cloudware, with its strong local presence and existing relationship with Telecel, provided critical on-ground support — managing stakeholder communication, user engagement, and ensuring seamless coordination across departments.
Engagement with Microsoft
Microsoft Programs and Resources Utilized: A key enabler of success in the Telecel engagement was the support we received from Microsoft’s Partner Technical Architects (PTAs), particularly through the guidance and collaboration of Remi, who played a pivotal role during the project’s final stretch.
Partner Technical Architect Support:
- Remi supported our team in crafting customer-facing marketing collateral to communicate the business value of the migration and AI journey effectively.
- This inputs translate technical outcomes into business narratives, enabling our messaging to resonate more deeply with Telecel’s executive leadership.
Marketing Enablement:
- With Remi’s input, our team developed visually engaging materials and value articulation decks that were used to drive internal stakeholder alignment at Telecel.
- These materials also became assets for showcasing success in future customer engagements and contributed to positioning us more strongly in Microsoft’s Co-Sell ecosystem.
Delivering Seamless Continuity in a Time of Change
Telecel’s tenant migration came at a crucial business inflection point. Through a robust, secure, and collaborative approach, Reliance Infosystems helped the organization transition with confidence, keeping services online, data secure, and users empowered.
This engagement is a powerful case of digital transformation aligned with Microsoft’s modern work and security principles, and a blueprint for how tenant migrations can be executed at scale without disruption.
Customer Reference
“Our partnership with Reliance Infosystems helped us deliver a secure, seamless tenant migration during a very critical time. They ensured we stayed connected, operational, and secure—all without interrupting our business.”
— Mr. Joseph Lamptey, Office IT Specialist, Telecel Ghana
