WORLDTECHMicrosoft 365 Outage Sends Japanese Offices Back to Fax Machines
A Microsoft 365 outage that reached Japan in the early hours of November 13 local time disrupted Outlook and other services, and according to The Japan Times, as reported by TechPowerUp, many offices fell back on fax machines. Public bodies, companies and universities all reported problems.
Government bodies switch to other channels
The central government was affected as well. Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Masanao Ozaki said that the Government Solution Service (GSS), a shared network overseen by the Digital Agency for government employees, lost access to Outlook and other Microsoft products. Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara said that communication between ministries was disrupted.
Mie Prefecture's government, whose 7,500 staff depend on Outlook, asked residents to get in touch by phone or fax instead.
Companies and universities report delays
Chubu Electric Power and Brother Industries shifted their outside communication from email to telephone calls. Credit card issuer Credit Saison warned of slower responses to inquiries, while the universities of Kyushu and Waseda also reported disruptions.
Open questions
- How long the outage lasted and when full service was restored are not stated in the facts?