Set-OutlookSignatures Benefactor Circle
Email signatures and out-of-office replies for Exchange and all of Outlook. Full-featured, cost-effective, unsurpassed data privacy.
If email signatures or out-of-office replies are on your agenda, the following is worth reading - whether you work in marketing, sales, corporate communications, the legal or the compliance department, as Exchange or client administrator, as CIO or IT lead, as key user or consultant.
Email signatures and out-of-office replies are an integral part of corporate identity and corporate design, of successful concepts for media and internet presence, and of marketing campaigns. Similar to web presences, business emails are usually subject to an imprint obligation, and non-compliance can result in severe penalties.
Central management and deployment ensures that design guidelines are met, guarantees correct and up-to-date content, helps comply with legal requirements, relieves staff and creates an additional marketing and sales channel.
You can do all this, and more, with Set-OutlookSignatures and the Benefactor Circle add-on.
Set-OutlookSignatures is the open-source gold standard for email signatures and out-of-office replies for Exchange and all of Outlook. Full-featured, cost-effective, unsurpassed data privacy.
Download the free and open-source core version from GitHub for free.
ExplicIT’s Benefactor Circle add-on enhances the open-source version with a great set of additional features and first-class fee-based support.
With Set-OutlookSignatures, signatures and out-of-office replies can be:
Set-OutlookSignatures can be run by users on Windows, Linux and macOS clients, including shared devices and terminal servers - or on a central system with a service account.
On clients, it can run as part of the logon script, as scheduled task, or on user demand via a desktop icon, start menu entry, shortcut or any other way of starting a program - whatever your operating system and software deployment mechanism allows.
Signatures and OOF messages can also be created and pushed into mailboxes centrally, without end user or client involvement.
Sample templates for signatures and OOF messages demonstrate many features and are provided as .docx and .htm files.
Simulation mode allows content creators and admins to simulate the behavior of the software for a specific user at a specific point in time, and to inspect the resulting signature files before going live.
SimulateAndDeploy allows to deploy signatures to Outlook Web/New Outlook without any client deployment or end user interaction, making it ideal for users that only log on to web services but never to a client (users with a Microsoft 365 F-license, for example).
The software is designed to work in big and complex environments (Exchange resource forest scenarios, across AD trusts, multi-level AD subdomains, many objects). It works on premises, in hybrid and in cloud-only environments.
All national clouds are supported: Public (AzurePublic), US Government L4 (AzureUSGovernment), US Government L5 (AzureUSGovernment DoD), China (AzureChinaCloud operated by 21Vianet).
It is multi-client capable by using different template paths, configuration files and script parameters.
Set-OutlookSignatures requires no installation on servers or clients. You only need a standard SMB file share on a central system, and optionally Office on your clients.
There is also no telemetry or “calling home”, emails are not routed through a 3rd party data center or cloud service, and there is no need to change DNS records (MX, SPF) or mail flow.
A documented implementation approach, based on real life experiences implementing the software in multi-client environments with a five-digit number of mailboxes, contains proven procedures and recommendations for product managers, architects, operations managers, account managers and email and client administrators.
The implementation approach is suited for service providers as well as for clients, and covers several general overview topics, administration, support, training across the whole lifecycle from counselling to tests, pilot operation and rollout up to daily business.
The software core is Free and Open-Source Software (FOSS). It is published under a license which is approved, among others, by the Free Software Foundation (FSF) and the Open Source Initiative (OSI), and is compatible with the General Public License (GPL) and other popular licenses.
ExplicIT Consulting’s commercial Benefactor Circle add-on enhances Set-OutlookSignatures with additional features and fee-based support, ensuring that the core of Set-OutlookSignatures can remain Free and Open-Source Software (FOSS) and continues to evolve.
| Feature | Set‑OutlookSignatures with Benefactor Circle |
Market Companion A | Market Companion B | Market Companion C |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free and Open-Source core | 🟢 | 🔴 | 🔴 | 🔴 |
| Emails stay in your environment (no re-routing to 3rd party datacenters) | 🟢 | 🟡 Optional, causes reduced feature set | 🔴 | 🔴 |
| Is hosted and runs in environments that you already trust and for which you have established security and management structures | 🟢 | 🔴 | 🔴 | 🔴 |
| Entra ID and Active Directory permissions | 🟢 User (a.k.a. delegated) permissions, least privilege principle | 🔴 Application permissions, read all directory data (and transfer all emails) | 🔴 Application permissions, read all directory data (and transfer all emails) | 🔴 Application permissions, read all directory data (and read all emails) |
| Entra ID and Active Directory data stays in your environment (no transfer to 3rd party datacenters) | 🟢 | 🔴 | 🔴 | 🔴 |
| Does not require configuring Exchange adding a dependency to it | 🟢 | 🔴 | 🔴 | 🔴 |
| Multiple independent instances can be run in the same environment | 🟢 | 🔴 | 🔴 | 🔴 |
| No telemetry or usage data collection, direct or indirect | 🟢 | 🔴 | 🔴 | 🔴 |
| No auto-renewing subscription | 🟢 | 🔴 | 🔴 | 🔴 |
| IT can delegate signature management, e.g. to marketing | 🟢 | 🟢 | 🟡 Not at signature level | 🟡 Not at signature level |
| Apply signatures to all emails | 🟡 Outlook clients only | 🟢 With email re-routing to a 3rd party datacenter | 🟢 With email re-routing to a 3rd party datacenter | 🟢 With email re-routing to a 3rd party datacenter |
| Apply signature based on recipients | 🟡 Manually | 🟡 One signature for all recipients, based on first rule match | 🔴 | 🔴 |
| Additional data sources besides Active Directory and Entra ID | 🟢 | 🟡 | 🔴 | 🔴 |
| Support for Microsoft national clouds | 🟢 Global/Public, US Government L4 (GCC, GCC High), US Government L5 (DOD), China operated by 21Vianet | 🔴 | 🔴 | 🔴 |
| Support for Microsoft roaming signatures (multiple signatures in Outlook Web and New Outlook) | 🟢 | 🔴 | 🔴 | 🔴 |
| Number of templates | 🟢 Unlimited | 🔴 1, more charged extra | 🟢 Unlimited | 🟢 Unlimited |
| Targeting and exclusion | 🟢 | 🔴 Charged extra | 🟢 | 🟢 |
| Scheduling | 🟢 | 🔴 Charged extra | 🟢 | 🟢 |
| Banners | 🟢 Unlimited | 🔴 1, more charged extra | 🟢 Unlimited | 🟢 Unlimited |
| QR codes and vCards | 🟢 | 🔴 Charged extra | 🔴 Charged extra | 🟢 |
| Signature visible while writing | 🟢 | 🟡 | 🟡 | 🟡 |
| Signature visible in Sent Items | 🟢 | 🟡 Cloud mailboxes only | 🟡 Cloud mailboxes only | 🟡 Cloud mailboxes only |
| Out-of-office reply messages | 🟢 | 🔴 Charged extra | 🟡 Same for internal and external senders | 🔴 Charged extra |
| User-controlled email signatures | 🟢 | 🟡 | 🟡 | 🟡 |
| Signatures for encrypted messages | 🟢 | 🟡 | 🟡 | 🟡 |
| Signatures for delegates, shared, additional and automapped mailboxes | 🟢 | 🟡 No mixing of sender and delegate replacement variables | 🟡 No mixing of sender and delegate replacement variables | 🟡 No mixing of sender and delegate replacement variables |
| Outlook add-in | 🟡 No on-prem mailboxes on mobile devices | 🟡 Not for appointments | 🟡 Not for appointments | 🟢 |
| Support pricing model | 🟢 Charged per support hour | 🔴 Charged if used or not | 🔴 Charged if used or not | 🔴 Charged if used or not |
| Software escrow | 🟢 To the free and open-source Set‑OutlookSignatures project | 🔴 | 🔴 | 🔴 |
| License cost, 100 mailboxes, 1 year | 🟢 appr. 0.3k € | 🔴 appr. 1.6k € | 🟡 appr. 1.3k € | 🔴 appr. 1.6k € |
| License cost, 250 mailboxes, 1 year | 🟢 appr. 0.6k € | 🔴 appr. 4.0k € | 🟡 appr. 2.7k € | 🔴 appr. 3.6k € |
| License cost, 500 mailboxes, 1 year | 🟢 appr. 1.3k € | 🔴 appr. 8.0k € | 🟡 appr. 4.4k € | 🟡 appr. 6.2k € |
| License cost, 1,000 mailboxes, 1 year | 🟢 appr. 2.5k € | 🔴 appr. 15.7k € | 🟡 appr. 8.7k € | 🟡 appr. 10.5k € |
| License cost, 10,000 mailboxes, 1 year | 🟢 appr. 25.0k € | 🔴 appr. 110.0k € | 🟡 appr. 65.0k € | 🟡 appr. 41.0k € |
In your free interactive product demo, we show you the main features of the Benefactor Circle add-on and the Outlook add-in - interactively and with a focus on your actual needs.
For a quick overview, the basic features are shown in our demo video:
There are three relevant questions to calculate the financial benefits:
While the first two are difficult to calculate and very individual, the last question is easier to answer. Let’s assume that an average employee costs 50,000 € per year from the employer’s point of view (including all taxes, social security, etc.) for 1,800 hours of work. This gives costs of 0.47 € for each minute of employee work.
Other parameters we need are:
Formula: CostPerMinute * NumberOfChanges * NumberOfMinutes * NumberOfSignatures * NumberOfClients = Cost per user and year
Let’s assume 2 changes per year, 3 minutes for making the change (including reading the instructions) per signature, 2 signatures, 1 client. This results in 5.64 € per user and year (0.47 * 2 * 3 * 2 * 1).
Per user and year, the costs are now 5.64 € in manual effort compared to 2.50 € for a centrally managed solution with Set-OutlookSignatures.
This calculation does not even take into account
Set-OutlookSignatures pays for itself immediately and actually helps you earn more money.
Whether you use the free and open-source version of Set-OutlookSignatures or the Benefactor Circle add-on as a trial or annual license: ExplicIT always provides first-class fee-based support.
You prefer to be guided through the setup and customization process instead of working through the documentation yourself? You are looking for customized workshops, hands-on implementation support, training, template creation assistance and other services related to centralized email signature and out-of-office reply management? Then our offer is just right for you.
You are not buying just any support, but our comprehensive expertise as manufacturer, consultant and implementer. For us, support means not only providing a solution to your problem, but also passing on our experience to you so that you know how and why. Our support is therefore an investment in your own knowledge and that of your employees, which pays off immediately.
Our all-inclusive support promise: If your support request stems from a bug in the latest version of Set-OutlookSignatures, the Benefactor Circle add-on, its documentation, or the provided components, support is free — no exceptions. For all other issues, you will receive the same top-notch support at a fair price.
The price currently is 2.50 € net per mailbox and year, which is less than 0.21 € net per mailbox and month.
We keep license costs as fair as possible. Fair means:
There is no minimum number of mailboxes, only a minimum amount of 210.00 € net per invoice.
Each mailbox in your environment for which you want to use an exclusive Benefactor Circle feature requires a license. This also applies to shared mailboxes.
It does not matter how many users access a mailbox. If you only want to provide signatures for a single mailbox that is used by 50 people, you only need to purchase 1 license.
The mailboxes do not need to be named, you just need to define at least one Active Directory or Entra ID group containing the mailboxes and the maximum number of recursive members for each group.
It doesn’t matter how many signatures you have or how often you change them.
Licenses are payable in advance and are valid for one year from the date of receipt of full payment. There is no automatic renewal or subscription.
As long as a license is valid, it includes free version upgrades and prioritization of support requests.
We work hard to keep our prices as low and stable as possible, with the aim of only adjusting them for inflation. So prices are subject to change. Since you pay upfront, you can and will never be charged after the fact.
If you wish to add additional mailboxes during an active license period, you will only be charged the current price for these additional mailboxes for the remaining months of your license period.
You may want to start with a 14-day trial license.
The Benefactor Circle add-on extends the feature set of the free and open-source core version of Set-OutlookSignatures, so make sure that the core version is working correctly before requesting a trial version.
If you look for help implementing the free and open-source core version of Set-OutlookSignatures, go through the Quick Start Guide in the readme file, open an issue at GitHub, or contact us: We are happy to help you implement Set-OutlookSignatures in your own environment as part of our fee-based support.
As soon as the open-source core version is running, it is time to take the next step:
To use the license file, just add two parameters to your call of Set-OutlookSignatures.ps1:
BenefactorCircleLicenseFile with the path to your individualized license fileBenefactorCircleId with your Benefactor Circle IDTrial licenses can not be extended or re-issued. They are limited to 14 days runtime and a maximum of 20 mailboxes.
The trial period starts when we create and submit the trial version, not with you using it for the first time (that’s not possible, as our software does not phone home).
It is strongly recommended to start your trial only when the free and open-source version of Set-OutlookSignatures has already been implemented successfully. Also make sure you have a test plan and reserved time to execute it.
You will receive a quote shortly. As soon as all details are ironed out, you will receive an invoice and can start the payment process.
As soon as the full invoice amount is received, you will be sent an email with instructions on how to securely download your individualized license file.
To use the license file, just add two parameters to your call of Set-OutlookSignatures.ps1:
BenefactorCircleFile with the path to your individualized license fileBenefactorCircleId with your Benefactor Circle IDA license period cannot be extended. Licenses are valid for one year, starting with the date the full payment is received, and do not auto-renew.
To continue using Set-OutlookSignatures with Benefactor Circle benefits, just place a new order to receive a new license file.
You will be informed in advance that your license is about to expire.
The total number of licensed mailboxes can not be reduced during a license period (one year starting from the date of payment reception), as the license fees are paid in advance.
Moving licenses means that the total number of licensed mailboxes does not change, but their distribution across license groups. This can, for example, be necessary due to Active Directory consolidations.
Shifting licenses between license groups is possible once per license period.
If more license shifts are required, additional licenses have to be acquired temporarily, the total number of licenses can then be reduced when the new license period begins.
When adding licenses during a license period, you only pay for the new mailboxes and only for the remaining months in the running license period. The license price for the new mailboxes is the list price at the time ordering the additional mailboxes.
The new payment does not extend the existing license period, but it increases the number of licensed mailboxes in it.
An example:
Each Benefactor Circle license is bound to one or more Active Directory or Entra ID groups, called a license group. For maximum data protection and ease of administration, licensing is not bound to specific mailboxes (“named users”), but only to a group with a maximum amount of members.
For most environments, only one license group is needed.
In on-prem and hybrid environments with multiple Active Directory domains, you may define a separate license group for each AD DNS domain, each license group with a separate maximum member count. When a license group for the home Active Directory domain of a mailbox is defined, this license group is used. If not, the license group defined as default will be used.
A license group definition consists of three components:
Where should I create the license group?
When a Benefactor Circle exclusive feature is about to be used, the license is checked as follows:
As soon as one of these steps fails, the mailbox is not licensed and Benefactor Circle features can not be used for it.
You need to make sure that the user running Set-OutlookSignatures is able to resolve all direct and indirect members of all license groups, especially across on-prem AD trusts.
Primary group membership (such as in ‘Domain Users’) is not considered due to Active Directory and Entra ID query restrictions.
Dynamic groups are supported when Entra ID is queried, but not when Active Directory is queried.
Only one pure Entra ID group is supported, and it must be the default license group.
The default license group is the first group in the list of license groups. The default group is used for mailboxes not being covered by more specific license groups.
When a connection to Microsoft Graph is available, Graph is used to check license group membership. A connection to Graph is enforced when the default license group is an Entra ID group.
License and software versions go hand in hand, so every new release of Set-OutlookSignatures also means a new license release, and vice-versa.
Using different versions of software and license file is not supported, as this leads to unexpected results.
A warning message is logged when a version mismatch is detected.
Set-OutlookSignatures and the Benefactor Circle license add-on do not store any telemetry data, do not “phone home”, and do not transfer any data, only the absolute minimum necessary data between:
The data transfer always happens in the security context of the user executing the program.
For license purposes, only the absolutely required information is stored and processed: Invoice address, email addresses for technical and commercial communication, license group information (domain, SID, maximum members) and payment information.