Microsoft Apologises After Global Outage

Overview

Microsoft has issued an apology following a global outage affecting numerous services, including Outlook and Minecraft. The disruption, tracked by Downdetector, began on Tuesday afternoon and was mostly resolved by evening.

Incident Details

  • The outage occurred two weeks after a significant IT failure due to a faulty update from CrowdStrike, impacting millions.
  • Microsoft Azure and Microsoft 365 were among the affected services, with the company implementing fixes to restore functionality.

Impact

  • Services relying on Microsoft’s platforms, like Cambridge Water and HM Courts and Tribunals Service, experienced disruptions.
  • NatWest and FC Twente also reported issues.
  • The outage coincided with Microsoft’s financial update, causing a 5% drop in shares due to slower-than-expected growth.

Resolution

Microsoft stated that most issues were resolved by Tuesday evening and continued to monitor the situation to ensure full recovery.