What happens to work when your inbox is unavailable?
Customer conversations do not pause when a team cannot open its inbox. You may need details from a previous email, a reply to a new enquiry or confirmation that an important message went through. The impact depends on the incident and the services affected; an email problem does not always mean every Microsoft 365 service is down.
A separate continuity route gives your team a defined place to go instead of improvising with personal accounts or waiting without knowing what to do next.
How will Continuity work with Microsoft 365?
You will keep Microsoft 365 and your business email addresses. Guided setup is intended to connect your organisation to an independent continuity service, with help from your IT provider where needed.
The planned service will hold copies of incoming messages independently. During an outage, your team will use a Continuity inbox to read available messages, receive new enquiries and send replies through separate delivery infrastructure.
- Keep your everyday Microsoft 365 workflow.
- Use independent inbox access during an outage.
- Track the return of messages to your usual mailbox after recovery.
Will all existing Outlook emails be available?
Older message availability will depend on supported Microsoft 365 access, permissions and the scope of the completed backup. A continuity inbox should not be assumed to contain every historical message or reproduce every Outlook feature.
We will explain supported mailbox types, setup requirements and recovery limits before you connect your business. Early access is not open yet, and support details may change as the service is tested.
What should you do during an outage?
Check your provider’s service status and ask your administrator whether the issue affects your organisation. Follow your existing continuity plan, use your agreed alternative contact channels and record any messages that need following up.
After recovery, check important conversations and any outstanding delivery or synchronisation tasks. The goal is a clear return to your usual inbox, with visibility into work still waiting.
Common questions
Do I need a second Microsoft 365 subscription?
The proposed Continuity service will not require a second set of Microsoft 365 mailboxes. Continuity is intended to be a separate paid service; pricing will be shared before you subscribe.
Is Continuity provided by Microsoft?
No. Continuity is an independent product and is not affiliated with, endorsed by or partnered with Microsoft.
Can Continuity protect an outage already in progress?
Protection needs to be configured before an outage and depends on the messages that have been backed up. The product is currently accepting waitlist interest; it cannot provide immediate outage access today.