How Microsoft software generates users’ initials

We’ve received reports from clients that their initials in Microsoft Teams doesn’t reflect their actual initials. Unfortunately, the truth is worse than that.

Not only does Teams not generate your initials from your first and last initials, as one would expect, but Outlook uses a different algorithm from Teams!

Teams generates your initials using the last two strings of characters in your display name (which is not necessarily your first name followed by your last name) while Outlook uses the first two strings of characters in your display name.

Here’s how you would be identified in various software if your display name was “Mary Smith”

In Microsoft Teams:

In Microsoft Outlook:

And, here’s how you would be identified in various software if your display name was “Mary R. Smith, Sr.”

In Microsoft Teams:

In Microsoft Outlook:

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