Veronique Palmer

Plea to the Entire SharePoint Community Globally – Time Zones

I don’t know about anyone else – but I battle every single day to get the time zones figured out across the globe.  It is an absolute mission to determine when webinars are being held from the four corners of the globe because of all the abbreviations everyone uses, and daylight savings in some but not others.

Most times, I don’t even bother anymore.  It’s such a pity.  Doesn’t it worry anyone that people everywhere could be thinking like this?  If we as a community made it easier to figure out the time zones, all the webinars would have higher attendance.  Surely?

On timeanddate.com there is an index of all the acronyms that are all referred back to the Coordinated Universal Time.  Why then can’t we all just use the UTC format instead?  Or if you don’t want to just do that, include you own time zone, but also include the UTC time.  That would cut out a whole step in figuring out the local time of the international webinar.  (My own first webinar fell victim to this very issue last week).  I don’t know when all your summers and winters and daylight saving are, I live on the other side of the planet.  And it’s a waste of time to have to Google when your times are in relation to ours.  There’s too much activity going on to do that.

Everyone has such brilliant information to share – why not make it super easy for people to partake in that?  It’s just one teeny extra piece of text on your site.

I mean, look at this table below, it’s madness how many abbreviations there are.  UTC is much easier to figure out.  It’s the hours plus or minus.  Please, I beg you – just add the UTC zone.  I am dying to hear what you have to say so I can learn.  I can’t be the only person that feels like this.

Maybe we can put our UTC time zone on all our websites and blogs too, that would also start helping when we’re trying to Skype or email or tweet.  Mine are all updated now.

We are a global community forever, lets do something to make it easier to work together. Please.

Abbreviation

Full name

Location

Time zone
A Alpha Time Zone Military UTC + 1 hour
ADT Atlantic Daylight Time Atlantic UTC – 3 hours
ADT Atlantic Daylight Time North America UTC – 3 hours
AFT Afghanistan Time Asia UTC + 4:30 hours
AKDT Alaska Daylight Time North America UTC – 8 hours
AKST Alaska Standard Time North America UTC – 9 hours
ALMT Alma-Ata Time Asia UTC + 6 hours
AMST Armenia Summer Time Asia UTC + 5 hours
AMST Amazon Summer Time South America UTC – 3 hours
AMT Armenia Time Asia UTC + 4 hours
AMT Amazon Time South America UTC – 4 hours
ANAST Anadyr Summer Time Asia UTC + 12 hours
ANAT Anadyr Time Asia UTC + 12 hours
AQTT Aqtobe Time Asia UTC + 5 hours
ART Argentina Time South America UTC – 3 hours
AST Arabia Standard Time Asia UTC + 3 hours
AST Atlantic Standard Time Atlantic UTC – 4 hours
AST Atlantic Standard Time Caribbean UTC – 4 hours
AST Atlantic Standard Time North America UTC – 4 hours
AZOST Azores Summer Time Atlantic UTC
AZOT Azores Time Atlantic UTC – 1 hour
AZST Azerbaijan Summer Time Asia UTC + 5 hours
AZT Azerbaijan Time Asia UTC + 4 hours
B Bravo Time Zone Military UTC + 2 hours
BNT Brunei Darussalam Time Asia UTC + 8 hours
BOT Bolivia Time South America UTC – 4 hours
BRST Brasilia Summer Time South America UTC – 2 hours
BRT Brasília time South America UTC – 3 hours
BST Bangladesh Standard Time Asia UTC + 6 hours
BST British Summer Time Europe UTC + 1 hour
BTT Bhutan Time Asia UTC + 6 hours
C Charlie Time Zone Military UTC + 3 hours
CAST Casey Time Antarctica UTC + 8 hours
CAT Central Africa Time Africa UTC + 2 hours
CCT Cocos Islands Time Indian Ocean UTC + 6:30 hours
CDT Central Daylight Time Australia UTC + 10:30 hours
CDT Cuba Daylight Time Caribbean UTC – 4 hours
CDT Central Daylight Time North America UTC – 5 hours
CEST Central European Summer Time Europe UTC + 2 hours
CET Central European Time Africa UTC + 1 hour
CET Central European Time Europe UTC + 1 hour
CHADT Chatham Island Daylight Time Pacific UTC + 13:45 hours
CHAST Chatham Island Standard Time Pacific UTC + 12:45 hours
CKT Cook Island Time Pacific UTC – 10 hours
CLST Chile Summer Time South America UTC – 3 hours
CLT Chile Standard Time South America UTC – 4 hours
COT Colombia Time South America UTC – 5 hours
CST China Standard Time Asia UTC + 8 hours
CST Central Standard Time Australia UTC + 9:30 hours
CST Central Standard Time Central America UTC – 6 hours
CST Cuba Standard Time Caribbean UTC – 5 hours
CST Central Standard Time North America UTC – 6 hours
CVT Cape Verde Time Africa UTC – 1 hour
CXT Christmas Island Time Australia UTC + 7 hours
ChST Chamorro Standard Time Pacific UTC + 10 hours
D Delta Time Zone Military UTC + 4 hours
DAVT Davis Time Antarctica UTC + 7 hours
E Echo Time Zone Military UTC + 5 hours
EASST Easter Island Summer Time Pacific UTC – 5 hours
EAST Easter Island Standard Time Pacific UTC – 6 hours
EAT Eastern Africa Time Africa UTC + 3 hours
EAT East Africa Time Indian Ocean UTC + 3 hours
ECT Ecuador Time South America UTC – 5 hours
EDT Eastern Daylight Time Australia UTC + 11 hours
EDT Eastern Daylight Time Caribbean UTC – 4 hours
EDT Eastern Daylight Time North America UTC – 4 hours
EDT Eastern Daylight Time Pacific UTC + 11 hours
EEST Eastern European Summer Time Africa UTC + 3 hours
EEST Eastern European Summer Time Asia UTC + 3 hours
EEST Eastern European Summer Time Europe UTC + 3 hours
EET Eastern European Time Africa UTC + 2 hours
EET Eastern European Time Asia UTC + 2 hours
EET Eastern European Time Europe UTC + 2 hours
EGST Eastern Greenland Summer Time North America UTC
EGT East Greenland Time North America UTC – 1 hour
EST Eastern Standard Time Australia UTC + 10 hours
EST Eastern Standard Time Central America UTC – 5 hours
EST Eastern Standard Time Caribbean UTC – 5 hours
EST Eastern Standard Time North America UTC – 5 hours
ET Tiempo del Este Central America UTC – 5 hours
ET Tiempo del Este Caribbean UTC – 5 hours
ET Tiempo Del Este North America UTC – 5 hours
F Foxtrot Time Zone Military UTC + 6 hours
FJST Fiji Summer Time Pacific UTC + 13 hours
FJT Fiji Time Pacific UTC + 12 hours
FKST Falkland Islands Summer Time South America UTC – 3 hours
FKT Falkland Island Time South America UTC – 4 hours
FNT Fernando de Noronha Time South America UTC – 2 hours
G Golf Time Zone Military UTC + 7 hours
GALT Galapagos Time Pacific UTC – 6 hours
GAMT Gambier Time Pacific UTC – 9 hours
GET Georgia Standard Time Asia UTC + 4 hours
GFT French Guiana Time South America UTC – 3 hours
GILT Gilbert Island Time Pacific UTC + 12 hours
GMT Greenwich Mean Time Africa UTC
GMT Greenwich Mean Time Europe UTC
GST Gulf Standard Time Asia UTC + 4 hours
GYT Guyana Time South America UTC – 4 hours
H Hotel Time Zone Military UTC + 8 hours
HAA Heure Avancée de l’Atlantique Atlantic UTC – 3 hours
HAA Heure Avancée de l’Atlantique North America UTC – 3 hours
HAC Heure Avancée du Centre North America UTC – 5 hours
HADT Hawaii-Aleutian Daylight Time North America UTC – 9 hours
HAE Heure Avancée de l’Est Caribbean UTC – 4 hours
HAE Heure Avancée de l’Est North America UTC – 4 hours
HAP Heure Avancée du Pacifique North America UTC – 7 hours
HAR Heure Avancée des Rocheuses North America UTC – 6 hours
HAST Hawaii-Aleutian Standard Time North America UTC – 10 hours
HAT Heure Avancée de Terre-Neuve North America UTC – 2:30 hours
HAY Heure Avancée du Yukon North America UTC – 8 hours
HKT Hong Kong Time Asia UTC + 8 hours
HLV Hora Legal de Venezuela South America UTC – 4:30 hours
HNA Heure Normale de l’Atlantique Atlantic UTC – 4 hours
HNA Heure Normale de l’Atlantique Caribbean UTC – 4 hours
HNA Heure Normale de l’Atlantique North America UTC – 4 hours
HNC Heure Normale du Centre Central America UTC – 6 hours
HNC Heure Normale du Centre North America UTC – 6 hours
HNE Heure Normale de l’Est Central America UTC – 5 hours
HNE Heure Normale de l’Est Caribbean UTC – 5 hours
HNE Heure Normale de l’Est North America UTC – 5 hours
HNP Heure Normale du Pacifique North America UTC – 8 hours
HNR Heure Normale des Rocheuses North America UTC – 7 hours
HNT Heure Normale de Terre-Neuve North America UTC – 3:30 hours
HNY Heure Normale du Yukon North America UTC – 9 hours
HOVT Hovd Time Asia UTC + 7 hours
I India Time Zone Military UTC + 9 hours
ICT Indochina Time Asia UTC + 7 hours
IDT Israel Daylight Time Asia UTC + 3 hours
IOT Indian Chagos Time Indian Ocean UTC + 6 hours
IRDT Iran Daylight Time Asia UTC + 4:30 hours
IRKST Irkutsk Summer Time Asia UTC + 9 hours
IRKT Irkutsk Time Asia UTC + 8 hours
IRST Iran Standard Time Asia UTC + 3:30 hours
IST Israel Standard Time Asia UTC + 2 hours
IST India Standard Time Asia UTC + 5:30 hours
IST Irish Standard Time Europe UTC + 1 hour
JST Japan Standard Time Asia UTC + 9 hours
K Kilo Time Zone Military UTC + 10 hours
KGT Kyrgyzstan Time Asia UTC + 6 hours
KRAST Krasnoyarsk Summer Time Asia UTC + 8 hours
KRAT Krasnoyarsk Time Asia UTC + 7 hours
KST Korea Standard Time Asia UTC + 9 hours
KUYT Kuybyshev Time Europe UTC + 4 hours
L Lima Time Zone Military UTC + 11 hours
LHDT Lord Howe Daylight Time Australia UTC + 11 hours
LHST Lord Howe Standard Time Australia UTC + 10:30 hours
LINT Line Islands Time Pacific UTC + 14 hours
M Mike Time Zone Military UTC + 12 hours
MAGST Magadan Summer Time Asia UTC + 12 hours
MAGT Magadan Time Asia UTC + 11 hours
MART Marquesas Time Pacific UTC – 9:30 hours
MAWT Mawson Time Antarctica UTC + 5 hours
MDT Mountain Daylight Time North America UTC – 6 hours
MHT Marshall Islands Time Pacific UTC + 12 hours
MMT Myanmar Time Asia UTC + 6:30 hours
MSD Moscow Daylight Time Europe UTC + 4 hours
MSK Moscow Standard Time Europe UTC + 3 hours
MST Mountain Standard Time North America UTC – 7 hours
MUT Mauritius Time Africa UTC + 4 hours
MVT Maldives Time Asia UTC + 5 hours
MYT Malaysia Time Asia UTC + 8 hours
N November Time Zone Military UTC – 1 hour
NCT New Caledonia Time Pacific UTC + 11 hours
NDT Newfoundland Daylight Time North America UTC – 2:30 hours
NFT Norfolk Time Australia UTC + 11:30 hours
NOVST Novosibirsk Summer Time Asia UTC + 7 hours
NOVT Novosibirsk Time Asia UTC + 6 hours
NPT Nepal Time Asia UTC + 5:45 hours
NST Newfoundland Standard Time North America UTC – 3:30 hours
NUT Niue Time Pacific UTC – 11 hours
NZDT New Zealand Daylight Time Antarctica UTC + 13 hours
NZDT New Zealand Daylight Time Pacific UTC + 13 hours
NZST New Zealand Standard Time Antarctica UTC + 12 hours
NZST New Zealand Standard Time Pacific UTC + 12 hours
O Oscar Time Zone Military UTC – 2 hours
OMSST Omsk Summer Time Asia UTC + 7 hours
OMST Omsk Standard Time Asia UTC + 6 hours
P Papa Time Zone Military UTC – 3 hours
PDT Pacific Daylight Time North America UTC – 7 hours
PET Peru Time South America UTC – 5 hours
PETST Kamchatka Summer Time Asia UTC + 12 hours
PETT Kamchatka Time Asia UTC + 12 hours
PGT Papua New Guinea Time Pacific UTC + 10 hours
PHOT Phoenix Island Time Pacific UTC + 13 hours
PHT Philippine Time Asia UTC + 8 hours
PKT Pakistan Standard Time Asia UTC + 5 hours
PMDT Pierre & Miquelon Daylight Time North America UTC – 2 hours
PMST Pierre & Miquelon Standard Time North America UTC – 3 hours
PONT Pohnpei Standard Time Pacific UTC + 11 hours
PST Pacific Standard Time North America UTC – 8 hours
PST Pitcairn Standard Time Pacific UTC – 8 hours
PT Tiempo del Pacífico North America UTC – 8 hours
PWT Palau Time Pacific UTC + 9 hours
PYST Paraguay Summer Time South America UTC – 3 hours
PYT Paraguay Time South America UTC – 4 hours
Q Quebec Time Zone Military UTC – 4 hours
R Romeo Time Zone Military UTC – 5 hours
RET Reunion Time Africa UTC + 4 hours
S Sierra Time Zone Military UTC – 6 hours
SAMT Samara Time Europe UTC + 4 hours
SAST South Africa Standard Time Africa UTC + 2 hours
SBT Solomon IslandsTime Pacific UTC + 11 hours
SCT Seychelles Time Africa UTC + 4 hours
SGT Singapore Time Asia UTC + 8 hours
SRT Suriname Time South America UTC – 3 hours
SST Samoa Standard Time Pacific UTC – 11 hours
T Tango Time Zone Military UTC – 7 hours
TAHT Tahiti Time Pacific UTC – 10 hours
TFT French Southern and Antarctic Time Indian Ocean UTC + 5 hours
TJT Tajikistan Time Asia UTC + 5 hours
TKT Tokelau Time Pacific UTC – 10 hours
TLT East Timor Time Asia UTC + 9 hours
TMT Turkmenistan Time Asia UTC + 5 hours
TVT Tuvalu Time Pacific UTC + 12 hours
U Uniform Time Zone Military UTC – 8 hours
ULAT Ulaanbaatar Time Asia UTC + 8 hours
UYST Uruguay Summer Time South America UTC – 2 hours
UYT Uruguay Time South America UTC – 3 hours
UZT Uzbekistan Time Asia UTC + 5 hours
V Victor Time Zone Military UTC – 9 hours
VET Venezuelan Standard Time South America UTC – 4:30 hours
VLAST Vladivostok Summer Time Asia UTC + 11 hours
VLAT Vladivostok Time Asia UTC + 10 hours
VUT Vanuatu Time Pacific UTC + 11 hours
W Whiskey Time Zone Military UTC – 10 hours
WAST West Africa Summer Time Africa UTC + 2 hours
WAT West Africa Time Africa UTC + 1 hour
WDT Western Daylight Time Australia UTC + 9 hours
WEST Western European Summer Time Africa UTC + 1 hour
WEST Western European Summer Time Europe UTC + 1 hour
WET Western European Time Africa UTC
WET Western European Time Europe UTC
WFT Wallis and Futuna Time Pacific UTC + 12 hours
WGST Western Greenland Summer Time North America UTC – 2 hours
WGT West Greenland Time North America UTC – 3 hours
WIB Western Indonesian Time Asia UTC + 7 hours
WIT Eastern Indonesian Time Asia UTC + 9 hours
WITA Central Indonesian Time Asia UTC + 8 hours
WST Western Sahara Summer Time Africa UTC + 1 hour
WST Western Standard Time Australia UTC + 8 hours
WST West Samoa Time Pacific UTC – 11 hours
WT Western Sahara Standard Time Africa UTC
X X-ray Time Zone Military UTC – 11 hours
Y Yankee Time Zone Military UTC – 12 hours
YAKST Yakutsk Summer Time Asia UTC + 10 hours
YAKT Yakutsk Time Asia UTC + 9 hours
YAPT Yap Time Pacific UTC + 10 hours
YEKST Yekaterinburg Summer Time Asia UTC + 6 hours
YEKT Yekaterinburg Time Asia UTC + 5 hours
Z Zulu Time Zone Military UTC

14 comments

  1. I find that a lot of people don’t even know which time zone they are in. e.g “webinar starting at 5pm EST Eastern Standard” so you think thats UTC-5, but its summer time in the US right now so what they really mean is “webinar starting at 5pm Eastern *Daylight* Time EDT which is UTC-4. Ghahhhh!

    Whilst you’re at it what about removing timezones altogether and decimalising the system? 😉

    Like

  2. I know the feeling! We do a lot of work with some guys in Nepal, who are 5 hours and 45 minutes ahead of us – how did that happen?

    Shameless plug now – I deal with this in 2 ways. First on my iphone I have clocks set up for all my main timezones, UK, US east and west, Sydney, and of course Nepal!

    Then on my SharePoint home page I have this free webpart:

    http://www.pentalogic.net/sharepoint-products/free-stuff/world-time

    which does the same thing.

    Helps us to miss few less webex sessions!

    Like

  3. @Paul, yeah that works for me too. It’s a great added value service when people do that.

    @Rob, please explain to everyone how to set the time zones like that in Outlook.

    Like

  4. I don’t mind what TZ is used, as long as it is stated CLEARLY. The reason I don’t care? When I add it to Outlook, it is very easy to set the right TZ and have it in your calendar in the correct place.
    Worked with people world wide for the last 3 years and this has worked EVERY time. Only screws out when the TZ isn’t defined clearly.

    Like

  5. I just get a recording post the event. Most sessions are US based and not terribly convienient and I always get it wrong by at least an hour. So I’ve pretty much given up unless there is a recording that can be downloaded later.

    Like

  7. I agree it is confusing! I just want every webinar to come with the button the last one had “Click here to see your local time” If it turns into a math problem for me everytime I want to attend a webinar…I’m not going to like that. 🙂

    Like

  8. Thanks for that Jacques. It is pretty cool, but then you’d still have to do work cos you can’t predict where the next webinar will be hosted. So eventually you’ll have this long list again! 🙂 Sigh, no easy answer here. But that is cool if you’re only dealing with specific people across the globe.

    Like

  11. SharePoint Time (SPT) = UCT time. You know how many hours to add onto UCT to make it to your time zone 🙂 So for a webinar starting at UCT/SPT 12:00, we know it starts at 15:00 in South Africa . Or did I miss the point again? 🙂

    Like

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