Google has extensively documented the provisioning, migration, and deployment process. However, there is a lot to learn for a one time event.  We save you time by sharing our expertise and experience. Whether you are an office manager, a business owner, or the IT person, hiring outside experts is the right choice for any Google Apps migration. 

Here is an outline of considerations and steps your business may have to make:

Collect Software & Hardware Support, Browser types & versions, Video players/plugins, Mobile devices & versions.  Verify users can access google websites, youtube, and other firewall considerations.

Examine the Email Environment by collecting health and statistics on the Email server, Corporate/Global address book, Other corporate directory, Shared mailboxes, Use email plug-ins, Email-enabled applications, Email-enabled appliances, Email security, and Email archiving. All of these will be affected.

How is the Calendar Environment configured?  Can users can reserve meeting rooms & resources, Users see free/busy information, Users can share calendars

Configure the Google Apps Environment. Allow access to legacy email/calendar client in read-only mode & Allow users to keep existing email files (e.g., PST) on desktops. Authentication Decisions: Use SAML SSO Service for Google Apps

Add support for web browsers required to access Google Apps and Add support for video players required to view Google Apps videos if not currently supported.

Add domains as aliases, Add domains to separate Google Apps accounts, Allow users to use POP or IMAP with email clients, Use Google Calendar Connectors to display free/busy information between Google Apps and MS Exchange.   Reconfigure applications and appliances that send automated email.

Configure Core Google Apps Features: Gmail, Calendar, Groups (user-managed), Docs, Talk, Sites, Video. Then focus on other feature options like Allow Offline Gmail, Allow access to Gmail Labs (includes Calendar Labs), Enable Voice and Video Chat, Allow POP/IMAP for email, Enable Mail Delegation, Set Email Retention period, Change display name format to "Last, First" for Mail, Force all chats to be "off the record", Automatically accept chat invitations between users in your domain, Enable contacts sharing (automatic address book of all users' addresses), Enable Message Security and Archiving (Postini).

Next need to deal with Mobile Support.  Whether or not browser access and/or other means will be used.  Google works with Outlook, other email clients, ActiveSync, calendar sync, do you need Google Mobile Sync instead, how about BlackBerry and Blackberry Enterprise?

Customization GoogleApps for Users by Customize URL for Gmail, Customize URL for Calendar, Customize URL for Groups directory, Push shortcut icon to users' desktops, Upload company logo, Change color scheme, Set default time zone.

When it is time to make the move the process is called Provisioning and Planning.  There are options for account provisioning such as individual addition, CSV files, Google Provisioning API, and Google Directory Sync.  Decide how passwords will be handled.  Then begin email migration via migration processes or simply letting users do it using the Outlook Sync Tool.  Same goes for Calendars and Contacts.  Decide on the next Contact Manager.