By Michael Specter
Outages Affect Global Users, Company Investigates Remaining Issues
Microsoft has confirmed that it has restored most of its application services, including Outlook and Teams, following widespread outages reported on Monday morning. The company issued a statement on X (formerly Twitter) late in the evening, around 11 p.m. ET, stating that while most services have been restored, Outlook on the web remains affected for a small number of users. The company assured customers that it is investigating ongoing issues related to the web version of Outlook and delays in mail queueing.
Initial Reports of Service Disruptions
The outages first began to surface around 8 a.m. ET on Monday, as users reported difficulties accessing various Microsoft 365 services. DownDetector, a platform that tracks tech service disruptions, noted that the outages seemed to be impacting users worldwide. By 11 a.m. ET, the online service showed thousands of outage reports, with many users taking to social media to share their frustrations.
Impact on Microsoft Teams and Exchange Online
According to Microsoft, the outages were primarily related to issues with Exchange Online and the functionality of the Microsoft Teams Calendar. These services were key to many users’ workflows, leading to significant disruptions, particularly in business and remote work environments. The timing of the outages added to the inconvenience, as users expressed frustration over the interruption to their productivity.
User Reactions on Social Media
As the outages stretched throughout the morning and into the afternoon, users shared their experiences on social media, highlighting the inconvenience caused by the service disruption. One user wrote on X, “#Microsoft outages to my planned productive work day. Phone calls and handwriting may yet restore some order.” Another user expressed a similar sentiment, “As much as I appreciate a chill work day. Microsoft, I need you guys to fix this Outlook outage fr. A girl is trying to push out all her work before this holiday.”
Past Outages and Ongoing Investigation
This latest outage comes after another Microsoft 365 disruption in September, leaving some users concerned about the reliability of the service. As Microsoft continues to investigate the issues, it is working to restore full functionality for those still affected, particularly with regard to the Outlook on the web service.
