Outlook is one of the most used email services. Microsoft released a new feature called Roaming Signatures in Signature Cloud Settings in Outlook.com. This feature allows users to customize their signatures in different emails automatically.
Instead of saving them on a local drive, which was the case before, signatures should be moved to the cloud – directly into the user’s account. This way, you can access your signature from any device. For example, if you create a signature on your office computer, you won’t have to create it again when you arrive at a different office and signing in with your mobile phone (where you have Outlook for Windows) for example.
The new feature of “Roaming Signatures” was first announced to be released in 2020. However, after many times delaying the release, we can now expect a preview of the feature in September 2022. The official release is planned for October 2022. However, not only the release date has been changed, also the publishing channel has changed. Usually, most companies prefer issuing channels such as the Semi-Annual Channel or the Monthly Channel. But the new version is now set to use the Current Channel, which, because of their reliability, not a lot of companies ascribe to.
For those users that will be able to use the new feature, here is a short overview of how the roaming signatures will work for windows.
To move the signatures from a local drive into the account is a great improvement. If you use your Outlook on different devices, such a mobile as well as laptop, then this new feature will help with synching all the signatures into one email signature. However, if your company will not be able to sign up for the cloud-based signature feature because of using a different publishing route, then perhaps looking at a different platform that offers the same feature (and more) would be a great alternative.
Also, looking closer at the new feature of ‘Roaming Signatures’, the new element is actually only compatible for Outlook for Windows. You would only really profit from this new feature if you now and then use a different computer, such as at the conference room. So in case you would like to actually have your signatures on a Mac or another mobile device (or web-based Outlook), then the signature settings will still be different across the devices.
Perhaps using a whole other platform will help alleviate the stressor of not knowing which program to choose for branding your email signature, because there are other ways to have a unified and compliant signatures across all devices. With Crossware you can create consistent, corporately branded email signatures and add features such as email signature logos across all different devices. Crossware also offers email signature banners that can run for a certain period of time and then set to change to a different campaign at another point. All of these email signatures are managed from one platform. The platform is used for all email signatures Microsoft 365 (previously known as Office 365), HCL Domino and Microsoft Exchange.