Most I.T. provider changes go wrong for one reason: the business does not have its own keys. The outgoing provider holds the admin passwords, the domain login and the only copy of the documentation. When the relationship ends, the business finds out how much it depended on that goodwill. A smooth switch is mostly preparation. Collect what you own, confirm access works, then change over in a planned order.
What to collect before you give notice
Start this list quietly, before you tell anyone you are leaving. Much of it you can check yourself.
Domain and DNS
- Domain registrar login. Find out which registrar manages your domain. For .au domains, auDA explains that you can identify the registrar of record with its WHOIS lookup.
- Registrant contact email. auDA says the transfer authorisation code (the domain password) is sent to the registrant contact email recorded in the .au registry. If that address belongs to your old provider, get it changed to an address your business controls.
- DNS hosting. DNS can be hosted somewhere other than the registrar. Get a login or a full export of every record, including mail records (MX, SPF, DKIM, DMARC) and any records used by your website or apps.
Microsoft 365
- A Global Administrator account in your name. It should belong to your business, use multifactor authentication and not be shared with the provider. Microsoft recommends assigning Global Administrator to fewer than five people, and keeping two cloud-only emergency access accounts for lockout situations.
- Partner relationships. In the Microsoft 365 admin center, the Partner relationships page shows which partners have delegated admin access to your tenant. Note what is there now.
- Licences. Record which licences you have, how many, and who you buy them from. Find out the renewal date and whether the subscription is monthly or annual, because that affects when you can move it.
Everything else
- Admin credentials for firewalls, routers, Wi-Fi, switches, servers, NAS devices and printers.
- Logins for line-of-business software, including the vendor support contact.
- Backup system details: what is backed up, where it is stored, how long it is kept, and how to restore.
- Security tools in use: antivirus or EDR, email filtering, device management.
- Internet and phone account numbers and the name on each account.
- Documentation: network diagram, asset list, warranty dates and any recurring tasks the provider performs.
A step-by-step handover
- Read your current agreement. Find the notice period, any exit fees, and what the provider must hand over when the agreement ends.
- Secure your own access first. Log in to the domain registrar, DNS host and Microsoft 365 with accounts that belong to the business. Test each login while the old provider is still helpful.
- Choose the new provider and agree a cutover date. Pick a quiet period. Avoid end of financial year, payroll week or your busiest season.
- Give notice in writing. Ask for a written handover covering every item in the collection list above.
- Run an overlap period. The new provider audits the environment and installs its tools while the old provider still supports you. This is where hidden dependencies show up.
- Confirm backups before anything changes. Make sure a current backup exists and that a test restore works. Do this before you remove the old provider's tools.
- Move licences and support contracts. Transfer Microsoft 365 and other subscriptions on a date that avoids a gap in service.
- Remove old access. Delete or disable the old provider's admin accounts. In Microsoft 365, the Partner relationships page lets you select a partner and remove its roles. Change shared passwords, Wi-Fi keys and firewall logins.
- Review after 30 days. Check that backups are running, alerts go to the right people, and nothing still points at the old provider.
Black Wolf handles the handover from your old provider as part of onboarding, so the business owner does not have to chase each item.
Questions to ask
Ask your current provider
- Which accounts do you hold that have administrator rights in our systems?
- Are any of our licences or subscriptions billed through your account?
- Is our domain registered in our business name, with our contact details?
- Where are our backups stored, and will we keep access after we leave?
- Do you hold any documentation or passwords we do not have?
Ask the new provider
- Who runs the handover, and what do you need from us?
- Will we hold our own Global Administrator account?
- When will you run the first test restore?
- What are your exit terms, if we ever decide to leave you?
Handover checklist
- Domain registrar login works and the registrant email is ours.
- DNS records exported or DNS login confirmed.
- Our own Microsoft 365 Global Administrator account, with MFA, tested.
- Licence list, quantities, billing source and renewal dates recorded.
- Network and device admin passwords received and changed.
- Backups confirmed current and a test restore completed.
- Old provider's admin accounts and partner roles removed.
- Documentation in a location the business controls.