Email down? Check nautalex.com before you start restarting things. There's now a status bar right at the top of our homepage, and when something big goes down, we post it there.
What's new
The status bar is the coloured strip across the top of the nautalex.com homepage. When a service lots of businesses depend on is having trouble, like Microsoft 365, we put a short note there saying what's affected and what we're doing about it. When it's a Microsoft problem, it links to Microsoft's own status page so you can see their updates directly.
As I write this, it's flagging a Microsoft 365 issue affecting Outlook email.
What this means in plain English
A lot of what your office runs on now lives in the cloud. Your email, your files and your Teams calls sit on Microsoft's computers, not in a box in your back room. When one of those services has a bad day, it's down for everybody using it, and nothing you do in your office will fix it.
The status bar answers the first question everyone has: is it just us? If the bar says Microsoft is having trouble with Outlook, you know your computer is fine and you can stop rebooting things.
Why a small business should care
When email stops, the usual routine goes like this. Someone restarts their computer, then the router, then asks the person at the next desk. Meanwhile the real problem is somewhere else entirely. Knowing that in a few seconds saves the whole office a frustrating morning, and saves you a call that ends with "it's not you, it's Microsoft."
What to do: everyone
Bookmark nautalex.com on your work computer and your phone.
When something stops working, check the bar at the top of the homepage first.
If the bar mentions your problem, follow what it says. Usually that means waiting it out.
If the bar doesn't mention your problem, call us at 519-622-8840.
What to do: if you run the business
Tell your staff about the status bar, so the first person who notices a problem checks it before the office loses an hour. It's worth putting on the same list as the support phone number.
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When your email stops working, what's your first move: restart and hope, or pick up the phone?
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Contact Nautalex to see how we can help you with keeping your office running when things go down.
