Microsoft outage disrupts global communications, firms resort to faxes

A major Microsoft outage lasting over 12 hours disrupted global communications, affecting millions of users of Outlook, Teams, and Copilot, with services now gradually recovering. The company stated there is no evidence of malicious activity. The disruption impacted government agencies, financial institutions, airlines, and businesses worldwide, including the UK's NHS and London's Metropolitan Police. Some financial firms resorted to fax machines for transaction confirmations, while companies like Euronext and Maersk reported email problems. Microsoft attributed the issue to server problems and Exchange Online functions, and has begun deploying software fixes. This is the company's second major service disruption in 2026, raising analyst concerns about business reliance on a single technology provider.