New Delhi: Millions of users worldwide were left scrambling on Friday after a major service outage hit Microsoft. The disruption affected access to Microsoft 365 apps and services, including Outlook, OneDrive, and Teams, and also impacted the company’s Azure cloud-computing platform.
The outage, which began on Thursday evening, caused widespread disruption across various sectors. Airlines were particularly affected, with some – like Frontier – forced to cancel flights due to issues with their systems. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) even requested a temporary pause on all Frontier departures across the U.S.
While flights resumed later, the outage caused delays and inconvenience for travelers. Other airlines, including Sun Country and Qantas, also reported disruptions to their systems due to the Microsoft issue.
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The impact wasn’t limited to travel. The busy Sydney Airport in Australia experienced delays as some airline operations and terminal services were affected. To mitigate the situation, the airport deployed additional staff to assist passengers.
Financial markets also felt the pinch. The London Stock Exchange reported difficulties in publishing news announcements due to the technology issue.
Microsoft acknowledged the outage on its service status pages and stated they were investigating the cause and working on restoring access for users. While a specific reason for the outage wasn’t immediately available, reports suggest it could be linked to a recent update from cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike.
The outage serves as a stark reminder of our reliance on technology and the potential impact of disruptions on critical infrastructure. As of now, Microsoft hasn’t offered an official timeframe for when full service will be restored.
