Microsoft outage forces businesses to fall back on faxes, phones, and Bluetooth

A worldwide Microsoft outage on Friday disrupted Outlook, Teams, and Copilot for millions of users, forcing businesses to rely on phones, faxes, and Bluetooth as email systems failed. Most core systems remained operational, but trading and administrative work slowed in some regions. Microsoft attributed the prolonged disruption to server problems, stating no malicious activity was detected, and reported signs of stabilization after implementing fixes. Major institutions like Euronext, Aviva, and Maersk activated backup plans, including alternative phone lines and fax confirmations, while banks HSBC and Barclays set up internal incident teams. The outage highlighted the fragility of global commerce relying on a few technology providers, prompting calls for better contingency planning. It follows recent attacks on industrial systems, underscoring how single points of failure can disrupt everyday business operations.