Global Microsoft Outage Disrupts Trading and Business Operations in Singapore

A global outage of Microsoft services, which began on November 12, 2026 in the US and extended into November 13 in Asia-Pacific, has significantly disrupted trading and business operations in Singapore. Traders reported that many banks were unable to complete financing deals as email services, particularly Outlook, experienced extensive downtime.

In Singapore, the outage affected various sectors, including finance and government. Kenneth Goh, director of private wealth management at broker UOB Kay Hian, expressed frustration, saying it had been super irritating and that if the outage crossed 24 hours, they would be in the red zone. This sentiment was echoed by traders who resorted to using phones and WhatsApp to communicate, and even fired up their fax machines to manage transactions.

“Kenneth Goh said it had been super irritating and that if the outage crossed 24 hours, they would be in the red zone.”Kenneth Goh, Director of Private Wealth Management, UOB Kay Hian

According to reports, the outage impacted users in more than 70 countries and territories, with significant disruptions noted in North America, Europe, and the Asia-Pacific region. Microsoft confirmed that the issues stemmed from a core process on affected servers becoming overwhelmed, leading to service interruptions across its platforms, including Outlook, Teams, and Copilot.

As the outage persisted, trading firms in Singapore, such as CMC Markets, noted an increase in phone communications. Eugene Koh, a sales trader at the firm, said that everyone was back on the phone and WhatsApp chats were busier than usual. He noted that something that normally takes a second on email might now take a phone call and a few minutes to get through. This shift to traditional methods has raised concerns about liquidity in the markets, as institutions may hesitate to trade without the efficiency of digital processing.

Matthew Haupt, a portfolio manager, indicated that trading volumes in equities had decreased due to the outage. The disruption also delayed corporate disclosures, with luxury goods company Richemont postponing its earnings statement.

“Eugene Koh noted that everyone was back on the phone and WhatsApp chats were busier than usual, with communications taking longer than usual compared to email.”Eugene Koh, Sales Trader, CMC Markets Singapore

In response to the situation, Microsoft reported that it was making progress in restoring services, with positive signs for server stability noted in its updates. However, the company warned that users might still encounter intermittent access issues as recovery efforts continued.

Coverage from the Philippines echoed these concerns, highlighting the widespread impact of the outage on businesses and government operations. Reports indicated that Microsoft services were disrupted for about 10 hours, with tens of thousands of users globally struggling to access their email. Downdetector noted over 130,000 reports of Outlook problems in the US at the peak of the outage, with significant issues also reported in the Asia-Pacific region, including the Philippines.

Philippine outlets framed the situation as a critical disruption, emphasizing that the outage affected not only businesses but also government agencies, including the Supreme Court, which noted that its email responses were impacted. This perspective underscores the national interest in ensuring operational continuity in both public and private sectors.

While Singaporean coverage stressed the immediate frustrations of traders and the operational challenges faced in financial markets, Philippine media highlighted the broader implications for governmental functions and the urgency of restoring services. For instance, Australian Home Affairs and Cyber Security Minister Tony Burke stated that Microsoft did not believe the outage was a result of a cyberattack, a sentiment that was also reflected in reports from the Philippines, where officials were not considering malicious activity as a cause.

Previous outages, such as a 15-hour disruption at Amazon Web Services in 2025, have similarly disrupted business operations worldwide.