Did Rackspace discontinue its email hosting service?

Yes. Rackspace announced it would discontinue its Rackspace Email and Hosted Exchange services, forcing tens of thousands of businesses to migrate to alternative email platforms. Microsoft 365 is the most popular destination due to its enterprise features, reliability, and Outlook familiarity.

How do I migrate email from Rackspace to Microsoft 365?

The migration involves: 1) Setting up your Microsoft 365 tenant and user accounts, 2) Verifying your domain in Microsoft 365, 3) Using IMAP migration or Microsoft's migration tools to copy emails, 4) Updating MX records to point to Microsoft 365, and 5) Configuring Outlook clients. For businesses with many users, a professional migration service ensures zero data loss.

Will I lose email during Rackspace to Microsoft 365 migration?

With proper planning you will not lose any email. A staged migration copies all historical data before switching mail flow. After DNS cutover, new emails go directly to Microsoft 365 while historical emails are still being synced in the background.

How long does Rackspace to Microsoft 365 migration take?

For small businesses (under 25 users), migration typically takes 1-3 days. Mid-size companies (25-200 users) should plan for 3-7 days. Large organizations with 200+ users may need 1-3 weeks for a phased migration approach.

What Microsoft 365 plan should I choose after leaving Rackspace?

Microsoft 365 Business Basic ($6/user/month) is the minimum, providing Exchange Online, Teams, and SharePoint. Business Standard ($12.50/user/month) adds the full Office app suite. For enterprise needs, Microsoft 365 Business Premium offers advanced security for $22/user/month.

Rackspace Email to Microsoft 365 Migration: Complete 2026 Guide

What This Guide Covers

Why Rackspace email was discontinued
How to prepare for email migration
Step-by-step migration walkthrough
DNS cutover without downtime
Choosing the right Microsoft 365 plan
Post-migration configuration checklist
Common Rackspace migration pitfalls
Estimated costs and timelines

Why Rackspace Discontinued Email Hosting

Rackspace Technology made the strategic decision to exit the standalone email hosting market and shift its focus toward managed cloud, multi-cloud, and higher-margin managed services. This means the Rackspace Email product (formerly called Mailtrust) and Rackspace Hosted Exchange are being wound down, leaving tens of thousands of businesses scrambling to find a new email provider.

Service End

Rackspace notified customers of email service discontinuation with limited notice windows for many accounts.

Affected Users

Hundreds of thousands of mailboxes across SMBs, agencies, and managed service providers impacted.

Best Destination

Microsoft 365 is the #1 migration target — enterprise-grade, familiar Outlook UI, and strong deliverability.

The good news: migrating to Microsoft 365 is well-documented, and with the right preparation you can complete the move with zero email downtime and zero data loss. You'll also end up with a significantly more powerful platform — Exchange Online, Teams, SharePoint, OneDrive, and Copilot AI, all included.

Pre-Migration Preparation Checklist

Rushing into the migration is the single biggest mistake businesses make. Spend one to two hours on preparation and the actual migration will be smooth and predictable.

Inventory All Mailboxes & Distribution Lists

Export a full list of all Rackspace mailboxes, aliases, shared mailboxes, and distribution groups. You'll need this list when creating accounts in Microsoft 365.

Critical~30 min

Check DNS Access

Confirm you have login access to your domain registrar (GoDaddy, Namecheap, Cloudflare, etc.). You'll need to update MX records, SPF, DKIM, and DMARC during cutover.

Critical~5 min

Record Current TTL Values

Log your current MX record TTL (Time To Live). If it's above 3600 seconds, lower it to 300 at least 24 hours before migration. This speeds up DNS propagation dramatically.

Important~10 min

Document Email Client Configurations

Note which email clients each user is running (Outlook, Apple Mail, Thunderbird, mobile apps). After migration, clients will need to be reconfigured for Microsoft 365.

Recommended~20 min

Identify Third-Party Integrations

Any application that sends email through Rackspace SMTP (CRMs, helpdesks, billing software) will need SMTP credentials updated to Microsoft 365 after migration.

Important~15 min

Create Full Email Backup

Before touching anything, export or download a complete backup of all mailboxes from Rackspace. Even if you're using a migration tool, a local backup is your safety net.

Critical~varies

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Step-by-Step: Rackspace to Microsoft 365 Migration

1Set Up Your Microsoft 365 Tenant

Go to microsoft.com/microsoft-365 and purchase the right plan (see plan comparison below)
Sign up with a new tenant domain (e.g., yourcompany.onmicrosoft.com)
In the Microsoft 365 Admin Center, go to Settings → Domains and click Add domain
Microsoft will provide a TXT verification record — add it to your DNS (do NOT update MX yet)
Once verified, create user accounts matching every Rackspace mailbox address

2Migrate Emails Using IMAP or Microsoft Migration Tools

Microsoft 365 offers several migration paths from Rackspace. IMAP migration works well for straightforward mailbox moves. For larger organizations, the Microsoft Migration Wizard inside the Admin Center is the easiest route.

Microsoft Migration Wizard

• Admin Center → Migration → Add migration batch
• Select IMAP as the migration type
• Enter Rackspace IMAP server: secure.emailsrvr.com
• Port 993, SSL enabled
• Upload CSV with user/password pairs
• Start migration — runs in background

Third-Party Tools

• BitTitan MigrationWiz — most popular, handles large volumes
• SkyKick — good for MSPs managing multiple migrations
• Transend Migrator — budget-friendly for small businesses
• These tools handle delta syncs before final cutover
• Recommended for 25+ mailboxes

Pro tip: Start the IMAP migration 2–4 days before your DNS cutover. This pre-populates Microsoft 365 mailboxes with historical email so users experience no data gap on day one.

3Migrate Contacts & Calendars

IMAP migration moves emails only — it does not migrate contacts or calendars. You'll need to handle these separately.

Contacts

1. In Rackspace Webmail, export contacts as .vcf or .csv
2. In Outlook / Outlook on the Web, go to People → Import contacts
3. Upload the exported file

Calendars

1. Export calendar as .ics from Rackspace Webmail
2. In Outlook or Outlook on the Web, go to Calendar → Import
3. Upload .ics file — all events will be imported

DNS Cutover: Switching Mail Flow to Microsoft 365

The DNS cutover is the moment new email starts flowing to Microsoft 365 instead of Rackspace. This is the most time-sensitive step — do it on a weekday evening when email volume is low, and make sure your Microsoft 365 mailboxes are pre-populated before you start.

DNS Records to Update at Cutover

Make all changes in sequence — don't skip any record

Record Type	Purpose	Example Value	TTL
MX	Route inbound email to M365	yourcompany-com.mail.protection.outlook.com	300s
TXT (SPF)	Authorize M365 to send as your domain	v=spf1 include:spf.protection.outlook.com -all	3600s
CNAME (DKIM)	Enable email signing for deliverability	selector1._domainkey → (from M365 admin)	3600s
TXT (DMARC)	Email authentication policy	v=DMARC1; p=quarantine; rua=mailto:dmarc@yourco.com	3600s
CNAME (Autodiscover)	Automatic Outlook client configuration	autodiscover.yourcompany.com → autodiscover.outlook.com	3600s

Important: Remove Rackspace MX Records First

Before adding the Microsoft 365 MX record, delete all existing Rackspace MX records (typically pointing to mx1.emailsrvr.com and mx2.emailsrvr.com). Having both old and new MX records active simultaneously will cause email to randomly route to the wrong server.

Post-Migration Configuration

Once email is flowing to Microsoft 365, spend 30–60 minutes completing these critical steps to finalize the migration and ensure a smooth experience for all users.

Reconfigure Email Clients

Remove old Rackspace IMAP/POP3 accounts from Outlook
Add new Microsoft 365 account via Exchange protocol
Autodiscover handles settings automatically for most users
Update mobile devices (iOS Mail, Outlook for iOS/Android)

Enable Security Features

Turn on Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) for all accounts
Enable Microsoft Defender for Office 365 anti-phishing
Configure Safe Links and Safe Attachments policies
Review and enable Data Loss Prevention (DLP) if needed

Update SMTP Relay Apps

Update all CRM, billing, and support tools with new SMTP
SMTP host: smtp.office365.com, Port: 587, TLS: On
Create a dedicated service account for SMTP authentication
Test transactional email flow from each application

Recreate Distribution Groups

Create Microsoft 365 Groups or Distribution Lists in Admin Center
Recreate all Rackspace aliases as additional email addresses
Set up Shared Mailboxes for previously shared Rackspace accounts
Verify all group email routing is working correctly

Which Microsoft 365 Plan Should You Choose?

Rackspace Email was priced at around $2.99–$3.99 per user/month. Microsoft 365 costs more, but you get dramatically more — full Office apps, Teams, SharePoint, OneDrive, and increasingly powerful Copilot AI features.

Plan	Price	Best For	Key Features
M365 Business Basic	$6/user/mo	Small teams, email + collaboration only	Exchange 50GB, Teams, SharePoint, OneDrive 1TB, Web Office apps
M365 Business StandardMost Popular	$12.50/user/mo	Most businesses — best value	Everything in Basic + Full Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint desktop apps
M365 Business Premium	$22/user/mo	Security-conscious businesses	Standard + Intune, Defender, Azure AD Premium, Information Protection
M365 Apps for Business	$8.25/user/mo	Teams already have email elsewhere	Full Office desktop apps + OneDrive, no Exchange Online

* Prices as of March 2026. Annual commitment pricing shown. Monthly billing is ~20% higher.

Migration Timeline by Business Size

Small Business

1–25 users

1–3 days

Direct IMAP cutover

Day 1: Set up M365, verify domain, create users
Day 2: Run IMAP migration, pre-populate mailboxes
Day 3: DNS cutover, reconfigure clients, done

Mid-Size

25–200 users

3–7 days

Batched IMAP + MigrationWiz

Days 1–2: Tenant setup, pilot group migration
Days 3–5: Batch migrate users in waves
Days 6–7: DNS cutover, client reconfiguration

Enterprise

200+ users

1–3 weeks

Phased migration with coexistence

Week 1: Planning, pilot, department 1
Week 2: Departments 2–4, parallel mail flow
Week 3: Final cutover, decommission Rackspace

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I still access Rackspace email after switching to Microsoft 365?

Yes, as long as your Rackspace account remains active. You can continue logging into Rackspace Webmail to access old emails until your service end date. It's wise to ensure all historical emails are migrated to Microsoft 365 before that deadline.

Will my email address change during migration?

No! Your email address stays exactly the same — for example, john@yourcompany.com. The only thing that changes is which server receives and sends your email. Your colleagues, customers, and contacts will see no difference.

How do I migrate Rackspace email to Outlook after switching?

Open Outlook, go to File → Add Account, enter your Microsoft 365 email address, and click Connect. Outlook will use Autodiscover to automatically configure the account settings. No manual server configuration is needed.

Does Microsoft 365 migration affect my website?

Email migration only changes DNS records related to email (MX, SPF, DKIM, DMARC). Your website DNS (A records, CNAME for www) remains completely untouched and unaffected.

What happens to email sent to my address during the DNS migration?

During the brief DNS propagation window (typically 15 minutes to a few hours with a low TTL), some email may go to Rackspace and some to Microsoft 365. This is why we recommend pre-populating Microsoft 365 mailboxes first — any email that goes to Rackspace during cutover can be forwarded or manually moved afterward.

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