If your email system is changing from Lotus Notes to Office 365, this post will help smooth your transition from using the Notes email client to using Microsoft Outlook. Let’s review the key features and settings for your first day with Microsoft Outlook.

Using the Menu Ribbon

First, if you have been using Word, Excel, or PowerPoint, then the menu ribbon at the top of the Outlook window will be familiar. The menu ribbon has a series of tabs across the top, and as you select each tab the buttons available on the ribbon change context accordingly.

Moving the reading pane

If you select the View tab on the menu ribbon and click the Reading Pane button, you can move the reading pane so that it appears at the bottom of the window beneath the list of emails – as you might be used to with Notes.

Setting your signature

Before you start sending emails, you’ll want to set your signature – here are the steps you’ll need to follow, starting with the File menu in the upper left corner of the window:

File menu > Options > Mail > Signatures button

Addressing multiple recipients

When you’re ready to send a new email, note that in Outlook multiple emails on the To, CC, and Bcc lines should be separated by semi-colons (-not commas as you would in Notes):

Setting an Out-of-Office Message

You can set two separate out-of-office messages – one for senders within your organization, and the other for emails received from outside your organization. Here are the steps to follow:

File menu > Info > Automatic Replies button

New names for features

The names, but not the functionality, have changed for the following features:

The Trash folder becomes the Deleted Items folder
The new name for the public address book is the Global Address List

In part two of this series, we will review some key differences between Notes and Outlook, along with some time-saving tips when using Outlook.