Your Lotus Notes migration,
mapped.
HCL Notes and Domino are still supported, so there is no forced deadline here. Teams migrate to modernise. If yours has decided to move, this guide covers the drivers, the destination options, and what the project actually involves.
No forced end-of-life
HCL continues to support Notes and Domino. Migrating is a modernisation decision, not a deadline.
No hard end-of-lifeHCL, which acquired Notes and Domino from IBM in 2019, continues to support the platform. There is no forced shut-off date driving this move. Cortavo
It's a modernisation decisionTeams migrate for lower maintenance cost, cloud integration, a more familiar user experience, and easier hiring. Cortavo
Two tracks, not oneA Notes migration splits into email, calendar and contacts on one side, and custom Notes applications and databases on the other.
Common destinationsMost moves target Microsoft 365 for mail, with SharePoint and the Power Platform for the applications; some choose Google Workspace.
Plan for the appsMail and calendar migrate largely with tooling. The custom Notes applications are usually the hard, time-consuming part.
The Complete Lotus Notes
Exit Playbook
The modernisation drivers, destination options (Microsoft 365, Google Workspace), an honest look at what mail-only versus application-heavy migrations really involve, and the phased project plan. Written for teams running the whole migration, not just reading about it.
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There is no deadline here
Unlike InfoPath or the legacy SharePoint workflow engine, Notes has no Microsoft- or vendor-imposed cut-off. HCL still supports and develops it. This guide treats the move as a modernisation project, not a race against a clock.
HCL Notes / Domino
HCL acquired the platform from IBM in 2019 and continues to support and update it. Staying is a valid option; the decision to move is about modernisation, not survival.
Modernisation drivers
The common reasons are cost and maintenance overhead, a push to cloud, integration with the rest of the Microsoft or Google stack, user experience, and the shrinking pool of Notes talent.
What does your Notes estate actually look like?
There is no deadline, so this is not an urgency check. Tick what applies, then generate a readiness summary to help scope the project.
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What's driving a Notes move
You've made the decision to migrate. This section covers the context behind that decision and the factors worth carrying into your planning, each attributed to its source.
Cost and maintenance overhead
Running Notes/Domino alongside a separate cloud stack means paying for infrastructure and specialist admin skills twice. Consolidating onto one platform is the most commonly cited driver.
The skills pool is shrinking
Notes/Domino developers are a smaller and ageing talent pool than mainstream cloud platforms, which raises hiring cost and bus-factor risk for teams that keep custom applications running.
Cloud and Microsoft/Google alignment
Most organisations already run Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace for the rest of the business. Consolidating mail and collaboration onto that stack simplifies integration, identity and support.
Two very different migration problems
Mail, calendar and contacts move with well-established tooling. Custom Notes applications and databases do not, and are usually rebuilt rather than converted, which is why they dominate project timelines.
“There is no suitable alternative software out there. Things like Microsoft's PowerApps can mimic only a fraction of what Notes can do (and quite poorly too).”
Where Notes workloads go next
The destination is usually chosen per workload: mail is a different decision from the custom applications.
Microsoft 365
The most common destination. Mail, calendar and contacts move to Exchange Online; Notes applications are rebuilt on SharePoint and the Power Platform.
Google Workspace
An alternative for mail and collaboration, particularly where the wider organisation already runs on Google.
HCL Domino (Volt / REST)
Because there's no deadline, modernising in place is legitimate: newer Domino capabilities can refresh apps without a full platform move.
Migration platforms
Tools such as CloudM, Cloudiway and Teamstudio automate mail and PIM migration and help assess the application estate.
How to choose your destination
Score the decision per workload, not as one blanket choice. If a platform can't answer these to your satisfaction, it isn't your platform.
- →Is the wider organisation already standardised on Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace?
- →How many custom Notes applications are genuinely active, versus unused or duplicated?
- →Does compliance or data-residency require anything to stay on-premises?
- →Who currently maintains the Notes applications, and do they have capacity for a rebuild?
- →Is modernising in place on Domino cheaper than a full platform migration for your estate?
- →What's the real cost of migration tooling and specialist support versus doing it in-house?
What a Notes migration involves
Two parallel tracks. Mail is largely tool-assisted; the applications are where the real work sits.
Discover
Inventory mailboxes and, separately, every Notes application and database, with owners and usage.
Triage the apps
Many Notes estates carry years of unused databases. Retire and rationalise before rebuilding anything.
Choose a destination per workload
Decide where mail goes and, app by app, whether to rebuild, replace with SaaS, or modernise in place.
Migrate mail and PIM
Move email, calendars and contacts, typically with a specialist migration tool.
Rebuild or replace applications
Recreate the surviving Notes applications on the target platform. This is usually the longest phase.
Test, train and cut over
Validate, train users on the new tools, and move across in planned waves.
“There was no ‘Magic Migration’—these companies can do the ‘low hanging fruit’ migrations—such as mail but they can't move your domino applications—they can only rebuild them.”
Playbooks, guides and templates
Everything you need to plan and run the migration, in one place.
The Lotus Notes Exit and Migration Playbook
An honest field manual: no forced deadline, the modernisation drivers, and a project method.
View the PDFarrow_forwardThe Step-by-Step Migration Guide
The sequence in order, with the trap to avoid at each step.
View the PDFarrow_forwardMigration Cost & Effort Estimator
Size the two tracks separately: mail migration and application rebuilds.
View the PDFarrow_forwardApplication Inventory & Readiness Template
Inventory, score, and triage every Notes application before you migrate.
View the PDFarrow_forwardThe Modernisation Readiness Report
The honest status, the drivers worth weighing, and recommended next steps.
View the PDFarrow_forwardQuestions teams ask
Drawn from migration vendors and practitioner guidance. Notes has no vendor deadline, so treat this as modernisation planning.
Is Lotus Notes end-of-life?expand_more
No. HCL acquired Notes and Domino from IBM in 2019 and continues to support and develop the platform. There is no forced shut-off date.
Then why are teams migrating?expand_more
To modernise: lower maintenance cost, move to the cloud, integrate with the wider Microsoft or Google stack, improve the user experience, and ease the challenge of hiring Notes skills.
Can migration tools move everything automatically?expand_more
Mail, calendar and contacts migrate largely with tooling. The custom Notes applications are generally rebuilt or replaced, not automatically converted.
Where do organisations usually go?expand_more
Most commonly Microsoft 365 for mail, with SharePoint and the Power Platform for applications. Some choose Google Workspace. Modernising in place on Domino is also valid.
How long does it take?expand_more
It depends heavily on the number of applications. Mid-market projects are commonly reported in the range of nine to eighteen months, driven mainly by the application estate rather than the mail move.
Do we have to migrate everything at once?expand_more
No. Most teams migrate mail first, since it's the most tool-assisted piece, then work through applications in waves based on usage and complexity, retiring what's no longer needed along the way.
Is staying on Domino a legitimate option?expand_more
Yes, with the caveat that it's a modernisation choice, not the default. If your application estate is large and specialised, refreshing it in place on newer Domino capabilities may involve a lower cost than a full platform move; model both before deciding.
Every source we pulled from
Notes migration guidance comes largely from migration vendors and practitioners. Treat figures as reported ranges, not fixed facts.