Microsoft’s problems are causing disruption in Switzerland too
Keystone-SDA
The widespread disruption to Microsoft’s services has also had significant repercussions in Switzerland, affecting both businesses and public authorities.
From difficulties in managing email to problems accessing documents and collaboration platforms, a number of organisations have experienced disruption to their day-to-day operations. Among the companies affected are Richemont, Zurich Insurance, Nestlé and Barry Callebaut.
One of the most visible effects was felt by the Geneva-based luxury giant Richemont. The publication of its half-year results, initially scheduled for 7am on Friday, was delayed by around 40 minutes. The company confirmed to the AWP news agency that it had been affected by Microsoft’s IT outage.
The Zurich insurance group also experienced problems: according to a statement issued by the company in Germany, its email service suffered a partial outage, preventing users in some cases from both sending and receiving messages. Customers with urgent enquiries were therefore advised to contact the company by telephone. This advice also applied to claims.
More
More
Is it possible to live and work without Big Tech?
The disruption also affected Nestlé. The multinational food company reported delays in certain business processes, particularly in activities reliant on email. However, the company clarified that operations had continued largely as normal: production facilities were not affected.
Swiss Post also urged customers with urgent needs to use the telephone. The sorting and delivery of letters and parcels, however, were not disrupted. Other organisations affected include the chocolate manufacturer Barry Callebaut, while at universities, including the federal technology institute ETH Zurich, students faced problems accessing Outlook, disruptions to online meetings on Teams and difficulties using the SharePoint platform for document management.
The Swiss Confederation, which employs around 44,000 people, reported only minor performance issues with some applications. The federal administration’s email service continued to operate as normal.
Globally, the IT disruptions began yesterday and affected businesses, public administrations and private users in various countries. Microsoft attributed the problems to server overloads and connection difficulties. The US tech giant also ruled out, based on the information available, that the incident was caused by a cyberattack.
+ How we produce news in English
Translated from Italian, reviewed by an English Department journalist.
