The Problem
Mergers and acquisitions create immediate data chaos. Disparate data estates, conflicting security policies, duplicate records, incompatible systems. Without proper consolidation, productivity drops and security risks multiply.
We deliver rapid, secure unification of data estates from multiple organisations: deduplication, security alignment, unified access controls, and regulatory compliance, with minimal disruption to daily operations.
What We Deliver
Data Discovery and Mapping
The first challenge is understanding what you've acquired. We discover and catalogue data across Google Workspace accounts, Microsoft 365 tenants, legacy file servers, cloud storage (Dropbox, Box, OneDrive), department-specific systems, email archives, and collaboration tools like Slack, Teams, and Notion.
We classify everything: sensitive data, ownership patterns, system dependencies, retention requirements, compliance obligations (GDPR, financial regulations, sector-specific rules), and orphaned accounts from departed staff.
Deduplication and Data Quality
Merged organisations create massive duplication. Post-merger duplicate rates typically run 35-60% across user drives, email, and collaborative platforms.
We use hash-based detection for exact duplicates, content analysis for near-duplicates, version consolidation keeping the most recent authoritative copies, and email deduplication across multiple accounts. Then we standardise naming conventions, validate metadata, remove temporary files, and archive outdated records per retention policies.
Typical storage reduction: 30-45% of total volume. Email archives drop 40-60%. Shared drives shrink 25-40%.
Security Policy Alignment
Merged organisations often have conflicting security approaches. We audit existing policies across all entities, identify gaps and conflicts, and implement a unified framework: single sign-on, MFA enforced organisation-wide, role-based access control replacing ad-hoc permissions, data loss prevention policies, encryption standards, and device management ensuring all endpoints meet the security baseline.
Access control consolidation includes centralised directory services (Azure AD, Google Workspace Admin), group policy harmonisation, password standardisation, session management, conditional access, and privileged access management.
Data Migration
We move data between systems whilst maintaining business continuity. Google to Google tenant consolidation, Microsoft to Microsoft tenant mergers, cross-platform migration, on-premise to cloud modernisation, multi-cloud consolidation, and legacy system retirement with data preservation.
Every migration uses a phased approach by department, pilot migrations to validate before full rollout, weekend and evening windows, real-time monitoring, rollback capability, pre-migration checksums, and post-migration verification with permission and functionality testing.
Compliance and Governance
Merged organisations must satisfy all inherited compliance obligations. We handle GDPR alignment, financial services regulations (FCA, PRA), healthcare data standards, legal hold management, and industry certifications (ISO 27001, Cyber Essentials, SOC 2).
Deliverables include a data processing inventory (GDPR Article 30), data protection impact assessments, privacy notices, data sharing agreements, staff training materials, and audit logs.
User Provisioning and Training
Account creation in the unified directory, permission migration from legacy systems, group membership by role, application licences assigned correctly, email forwarding from old to new addresses, and distribution list consolidation. Platform orientation for users new to the target system, self-service guides, live training sessions, a champions programme, help desk support during transition, and feedback loops.
Delivery Process
Weeks 1-2: Discovery and assessment. Inventory all systems and data sources, map user accounts and access, identify sensitive data and compliance requirements, document integrations and dependencies. Output: comprehensive migration strategy with timeline.
Weeks 3-4: Planning and design. Unified directory structure, data migration pathways, security policy harmonisation plan, compliance framework, integration architecture, rollback procedures.
Weeks 5-6: Security alignment. Deploy unified identity management, configure MFA, implement DLP policies, conditional access rules, audit logging, test all security controls.
Weeks 7-12+: Data migration. Phased waves: pilot group (10-20 users), early adopters (20-50), department-by-department rollout, remaining users and legacy retirement, then data archive. Daily progress reporting, real-time issue escalation, user satisfaction monitoring.
Weeks 13-14: Optimisation and handover. Performance tuning, permission refinement, compliance audit, documentation updates, knowledge transfer to internal IT, 90-day support transition plan.
Technology Stack
Identity and access: Azure Active Directory, Google Cloud Identity, Okta, JumpCloud, Duo Security. Migration tools: BitTitan MigrationWiz, SkyKick, Google Workspace Migration, Quest On Demand Migration, ShareGate, custom Python scripts. Security and compliance: Microsoft Defender, Google Workspace Security Centre, Varonis, OneTrust, KnowBe4.
Client Success Story
Financial Services Firm, City of London
A mid-sized financial advisory firm acquired three competitors in six months. That meant 200 additional staff, 80TB of data across disparate systems, conflicting security policies, and FCA regulatory obligations requiring immediate data governance.
The acquired entities: Firm A (75 users on Microsoft 365 with loose security), Firm B (60 users split between Google Workspace and legacy file servers), Firm C (65 users on ageing Exchange and local storage).
We consolidated everything into a single Microsoft 365 tenant with enterprise security. Discovery mapped 80TB across 17 systems, found 40,000 duplicate files, 15 orphaned accounts, and 250GB of sensitive client data needing enhanced protection. Security standardisation deployed unified Azure AD with conditional access, MFA across all 200 users, DLP policies, sensitivity labels, privileged access management, and audit logging satisfying FCA requirements.
Deduplication reduced 80TB to 48TB (40% reduction), consolidated 15,000 duplicate client files, merged 8,000 duplicate contacts, and archived 12TB of outdated content. Migration was phased over 8 weeks: pilot with 20 users, then each firm in sequence.
Completed in 17 weeks.
Results: zero business disruption during migration, 40% storage reduction, passed FCA audit with zero findings, unified client view enabling cross-selling opportunities, security incidents down 75%, user satisfaction at 92%, and IT support tickets down 60%.
"Stabilise consolidated three disparate IT estates into one secure, compliant platform in under four months. They understood our FCA obligations and ensured we never compromised on security. The deduplication alone paid for a third of the project." CTO, redacted
Why Stabilise
Merger experience. Data consolidation for 20+ acquisitions across financial services, professional services, and creative industries. Security-first. Every migration includes comprehensive security alignment. We don't inherit risk along with data. Regulatory expertise. Deep experience with GDPR, FCA, ISO 27001, and Cyber Essentials. Minimal disruption. Phased migrations, weekend work windows, and comprehensive testing keep teams productive throughout. Apple ecosystem. Mac users get optimal experiences on consolidated platforms, whether Google Workspace or Microsoft 365.
Frequently Asked Questions
How quickly can we start after acquisition closes? Ideally within 30 days of announcement. Discovery can begin before close, with migration starting immediately after.
Can we migrate whilst keeping both organisations operational? Yes. Phased approach ensures zero business disruption. Users continue on existing systems until their migration window, then cut over with validated access.
What if we're still deciding which platform to standardise on? We're platform-agnostic and help you evaluate Google Workspace vs Microsoft 365 vs hybrid approaches based on your requirements, licences, and compliance obligations.
How do you handle conflicting data? Our deduplication logic identifies conflicts, preserves all versions temporarily, applies intelligent resolution rules, and flags edge cases for stakeholder decisions. No data loss, ever.
What happens to data that must be retained but isn't actively used? Compliant archiving with appropriate retention periods, security controls, and e-discovery capability. Archived data doesn't consume expensive primary storage.
Is ongoing support included? Consolidation includes 90 days of optimisation support. Most clients then include consolidated infrastructure in managed services.