The Transition Plan from Mattermost to Matrix

The New Helmholtz Matrix Service and this Documentation Are in a Ramp-up Phase

• Please contact us if you encounter any errors.
• Helmholtz members are also invited to give us some structured feedback here.

Conditions

• Independent Migration: Since team structures and message histories cannot and may not be transferred automatically, teams will organize their move to Matrix independently.
• There won’t be a transfer any data automatically, as per our migration policy.
• Why no automated migration? HIFIS team examined this option extensively. Due to data protection regulations, high technical effort, and the goal of creating a “clean” new environment, we decided on a fresh start.

Timeline

• End of March 2026: Matrix becomes available as a new Helmholtz Cloud Service.
• April 2026: The creation of teams in Mattermost will be deactivated; new teams will be created in Matrix.
• Mid-July 2026: Mattermost will no longer be available in the Helmholtz Cloud.
• Data Archiving: Data will be archived and direct access will be lost. Deadlines for final deletion are currently being discussed with data protection officers.

Archived Mattermost Chats

• Mid-July 2026: Mattermost will no longer be available in the Helmholtz Cloud.
• Data Archiving: Data will be archived and direct access will be lost.
• Access to previous chat histories is to be provided via self-service. The technical tools for this are currently being developed.
• Deadlines for final deletion are currently being discussed with data protection officers.