HKU Connect email accounts (@connect.hku.hk) were migrated from Google to Microsoft 365 on 1 June 2022. Microsoft 365 platform is designed for collaboration, facilitating email communications, and information sharing. The platform is built-in with a feature called “people picker,” which will help users identify recipients when sending emails or sharing information in the same tenant, i.e. “@connect.hku.hk”. As a result, your “Sender Name” and email address become searchable in the same tenant to whom the user you may not know personally.

Microsoft has confirmed that “people picker” is a built-in feature, and we cannot hide your “Sender Name” from it. As a matter of data privacy concern, ITS would like to reset your “Sender Name” as identical to your email address, for example, “h1234567@connect.hku.hk < h1234567@connect.hku.hk >”. As a result, other users with @connect.hku.hk accounts will not be able to identify you by searching with names when sending an email or sharing data.

As it takes time to reset all the “Sender Names”, ITS will start to reset the “Sender Names” from 14 Feb 2023 and will complete the reset by 28 Feb 2023, at the latest.

Between 16 Jan 2023 and 13 Feb 2023, you may opt to adjust the “Sender Name” according to your choice. We will retain your choice of “Sender Name” from 16 Jan 2023 onwards. Please visit the following web pages for how to update “Sender Name”:

• For graduates: https://extranet.hku.hk/gradjob/connect_setdisplayname.html
• For current students: https://hkuesd.hku.hk/ccbin/account/cas_gate?appid=set-ex-m2-displayname
• For departmental account: https://hkuesd.hku.hk/ccbin/account/cas_gate?appid=set-ex-displayname.

ITS will reset the “Sender Names” for those accounts which have not changed their “Sender Names” in the above period, and we will freeze the above web pages between 14 and 28 Feb 2023. You can choose to adjust your “Sender Name” again on or after 1 Mar 2023.

Should you need further assistance, don’t hesitate to get in touch with our Help Desk at 3917 0123 or ithelp@hku.hk.

Regards,
User Services
Information Technology Services