{
  "id": 19841792,
  "title": "Faxes and phones: Microsoft outage forces businesses to find fixes",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/13/faxes-and-phones-microsoft-outage-forces-businesses-to-find-fixes",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-11-13T16:51:34.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "SABC News",
    "slug": "sabc-news",
    "url": "https://www.sabcnews.com/sabcnews/faxes-and-phones-microsoft-outage-forces-businesses-to-find-fixes/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A worldwide Microsoft Outlook outage on Friday limited damage for some businesses relying on older technology like telephones, faxes, and Bluetooth. The disruption affected major institutions, from banks to shipping firms, as email and other Microsoft services like Teams and Copilot were unavailable. Most companies reported their core systems were still functional, but trading and administrative work slowed down. Microsoft blamed server problems and said there was no malicious activity. The incident highlights the critical role that a few technology providers play in global commerce, public services, and communications. Firms are urged to invest in backup plans and test their effectiveness. European exchange operator Euronext instructed listed companies to use phone calls, while British insurer Aviva prepared backup plans, including alternative phone numbers for earnings calls and Bluetooth transfers. Shipping group Maersk asked customers to call with urgent matters and verify communications. Taiwan's financial sector faced major disruptions, with trades needing to be confirmed by fax instead of email. HSBC and Barclays activated teams to assess the impact, while most client services remained unaffected. The outage serves as a reminder that despite contingency plans, a single point of failure can still significantly disrupt everyday business operations.",
  "summary": "In Taiwan, the outage disrupted fund management at securities firms.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}