How to switch IT providers: a step-by-step handover plan

Switching IT providers without downtime comes down to sequence. First confirm your business owns its domain, email tenant, and backup account. Then collect documentation and administrator credentials, verify a backup can be restored, bring the new provider in alongside the old one, replace any tools that will stop working, and only then remove the outgoing provider’s access. Done in that order over about 30 days, staff should notice very little.

Before you start: read your current agreement

Find three things in your existing contract:

1. Notice period. How much written notice is required, and whether the agreement renews automatically on a certain date.
2. Handover obligations. What the provider has agreed to return, such as documentation and credentials, and in what timeframe.
3. What ends with the contract. Security software, backup services, remote support tools, and sometimes Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace licenses may be supplied through your provider and will stop when the agreement does.

Your timeline should be built around the notice period, not the other way round.

What do you need to own before anything changes?

These three accounts control everything else. Each should be registered to your business, with a login held by someone at the business.

• Domain name. Log in to the registrar (the company your domain is registered with) and confirm the registrant is your business and the contact email is one you control. Whoever controls the domain controls your email and website.
• Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace. Confirm that at least two trusted people at the business hold administrator accounts. Microsoft itself recommends keeping two or more emergency access accounts so an organization is never locked out.
• Backup account. Confirm whose name the backup service is in and whether it continues if your provider changes.

If any of these is registered to the outgoing provider, ask for it to be moved into your name as the first step of the handover, while the working relationship is still in place.

A note on domain names

You rarely need to move a domain to a different registrar during a provider change. You only need the login to be yours. If a transfer is needed, ICANN, the body that oversees domain names, states that it is your right to transfer a domain between registrars and that your registrar must supply the authorization code within five calendar days of your request. The same page describes 60-day transfer locks after a new registration, a previous transfer, or a change to registrant details, so check with your registrar before editing registrant contact information if a transfer is planned.

What documentation and credentials should you collect?

Ask the outgoing provider for the following. A provider that has kept records should be able to export most of it.

Accounts and identity

• Administrator logins for Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace, and a list of all admin accounts
• Domain registrar and DNS hosting logins (DNS is the set of records that directs your email and website traffic)
• A list of user accounts, shared mailboxes, and distribution groups
• Service accounts and what each one is for

Network

• Logins for the firewall, switches, Wi-Fi access points, and any controller software
• A network diagram or description: internet provider, static IP addresses, internal address ranges, Wi-Fi network names, VPN settings (a VPN is the encrypted connection staff use to reach office systems remotely)
• Internet provider account number and support contact

Devices and servers

• An inventory of computers and servers with serial numbers, purchase dates, and warranty status
• Local administrator passwords and disk encryption recovery keys, such as BitLocker keys on Windows
• Server roles, shared folders, and scheduled tasks

Backup and security

• What is backed up, to where, how long copies are kept, and the encryption key or passphrase
• The date and result of the last restore test
• Which security tools are installed, who holds each license, and when each renews

Software and vendors

• License keys and subscription owners for business software
• Vendor contacts for line-of-business software, phones, printers, and cameras
• Renewal dates for domains, security certificates, and subscriptions

History

• Open issues and known problems
• Recent changes and anything planned but not finished

How do you transfer admin access safely?

Microsoft 365

Providers usually reach your tenant in one of two ways: a user account inside your tenant, or a partner relationship that grants delegated admin roles.

1. Sign in to the Microsoft 365 admin center as an administrator and go to Settings > Partner relationships to see which partners are attached to your tenant.
2. Accept the new provider’s partner invitation, or create an account for them, with only the roles they need. Microsoft’s granular delegated admin privileges (GDAP) are designed so partners can work without global admin permission.
3. Once the new provider has confirmed their access works, select the outgoing partner on the same page and choose Remove roles. Microsoft notes that this removes their admin access but not the relationship itself.
4. If the outgoing provider is also your license reseller, note that Microsoft says you cannot remove a reseller relationship yourself and must ask the reseller to do it. Ask both providers how licenses will move so there is no gap in service.
5. Review the list of users with admin roles and remove any accounts that belonged to the outgoing provider.

Google Workspace

In the Google Admin console, review who holds the Super Admin role and any other admin roles, add the new provider with the roles they need, and remove the outgoing provider’s accounts once the new access is confirmed. If your subscription is billed through a reseller, ask both providers how billing will be moved.

Everything else

Change administrator passwords on the firewall, Wi-Fi, servers, backup service, and domain registrar after the handover, and store the new ones in a password manager the business controls. Our guide to password managers for small businesses explains how to set one up.

A sample 30-day timeline

Adjust this to your notice period. The order matters more than the dates.

When	What happens
Days 1 to 5	Read the current agreement. Confirm ownership of the domain, email tenant, and backup account. Choose the new provider and agree scope.
Days 5 to 10	Give notice in writing. Request documentation and credentials using the list above.
Days 10 to 15	The new provider reviews the documentation, verifies that a backup can be restored, and gets their own admin access alongside the existing provider’s.
Days 15 to 25	Replacement tools are installed: remote support, endpoint protection (security software on each computer), and backup if the current ones end with the contract. Old and new run side by side briefly where possible. Disruptive changes are scheduled outside working hours.
Days 25 to 30	The outgoing provider’s tools are uninstalled and their access is removed. Administrator passwords are changed. Staff are told who to contact and how.
Following 30 days	The new provider reports anything that was missed. You keep the old backups until the new ones have completed a successful restore test.

Why remove the old provider’s access promptly?

A joint advisory from CISA, the NSA, the FBI, and allied agencies warns that “disabling MSP accounts can be overlooked when a contract terminates” and recommends customers disable those accounts when services end. This is no reflection on the outgoing provider. Unused administrator accounts are a risk whoever they belong to, in the same way a former employee’s account is. Our guide to IT onboarding and offboarding covers the same discipline for staff.

What if the handover is slow?

Most handovers are professional and cooperative, and it is in everyone’s interest to keep them that way. Put requests in writing, be specific about what you need, and allow reasonable time. If a response is delayed, the accounts you own directly give you a path forward: with your own administrator login to the email tenant and the domain registrar, a new provider can take over the most important systems. Devices such as firewalls can be reset and reconfigured if a password cannot be recovered, though that takes planned time.

When is switching not the answer?

Changing providers takes effort on both sides, so it is worth checking whether the issue can be resolved first. A conversation about scope, reporting, or response expectations often closes the gap, particularly if your business has grown since the agreement was written. Our checklist for choosing an IT company works equally well for reviewing an existing arrangement.

Common mistakes

• Giving notice before confirming ownership. Sort out the domain and tenant while the relationship is active.
• Removing old tools before new ones are in place. Computers should not be left without endpoint protection or backup, even for a day.
• Changing registrant contact details right before a domain transfer. It can trigger a transfer lock.
• Deleting old backups too soon. Keep them until the new backup has passed a restore test.
• Forgetting renewals. Domains and security certificates that the old provider renewed for you need a new owner.
• Not telling staff. A short note on who to contact and what may look different prevents confusion.

Copyable handover checklist

BEFORE NOTICE
[ ] Notice period and renewal date confirmed
[ ] Handover obligations in current contract noted
[ ] Tools and licenses that end with the contract listed
[ ] Domain registrant is the business; business holds the login
[ ] Two people at the business hold email tenant admin accounts
[ ] Backup account ownership confirmed
[ ] New provider chosen; scope and price agreed in writing

COLLECT
[ ] Email tenant admin logins and list of admin accounts
[ ] Registrar and DNS logins
[ ] User, shared mailbox, and group list
[ ] Firewall, switch, Wi-Fi, and controller logins
[ ] Network description: ISP, static IPs, Wi-Fi names, VPN settings
[ ] Device inventory with serials and warranty dates
[ ] Local admin passwords and disk encryption recovery keys
[ ] Backup scope, location, retention, and encryption key
[ ] Date and result of last restore test
[ ] Security tools, license owners, and renewal dates
[ ] Software license keys and vendor contacts
[ ] Domain, certificate, and subscription renewal dates
[ ] Open issues and unfinished work

CUTOVER
[ ] Backup restore verified by new provider
[ ] New provider admin access granted with limited roles
[ ] Replacement remote support, endpoint protection, and backup installed
[ ] Disruptive changes scheduled outside working hours
[ ] Staff told who to contact and how

CLOSE OUT
[ ] Outgoing partner roles removed in email tenant
[ ] Outgoing provider user accounts removed
[ ] Outgoing tools uninstalled from every computer
[ ] Admin passwords changed on network gear, servers, backup, registrar
[ ] New credentials stored in a business-owned password manager
[ ] Old backups kept until new backup passes a restore test
[ ] Renewals reassigned
[ ] Documentation updated and a copy held by the business

Common questions

How long does it take to switch IT providers?

For a small office, about 30 days is a workable plan, and the contract notice period often sets the pace. The hands-on technical work is a small part of that window. Rushing is what causes disruption, so allow time to collect documentation and test backups before changing anything.

Will there be downtime?

There should be little or none during working hours. Most of the change is administrative: access, documentation, and tools running in the background. Installing new support and security software on each computer is normally quick, and anything more disruptive can be scheduled outside working hours.

Do we need to tell our current provider before finding a new one?

No. It is normal to choose a new provider first. It is sensible to confirm ownership of your domain, email tenant, and backup account before giving notice, because those are easiest to sort out while the working relationship is active.

Will our email or files move?

Not usually. Your Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace tenant stays where it is, and only the administrator access changes. Email and files move only if you are also changing platforms, which is a separate project.

How Coastal Growth Co. can help

We can run the handover as a defined project: confirming account ownership, collecting and organizing documentation, verifying backups, and sequencing the access changes. We agree the scope and price before paid work begins, and we are glad to tell you if your situation does not call for a switch at all. See the managed IT and support page for what ongoing support can cover, or tell us where things stand.