Microsoft 365 serves more than 430 million users globally, according to the company’s official figures.
The outage’s full impact is still unclear, but Downdetector logged over 140,000 reports from 74 countries, mainly concerning Outlook access on Thursday evening.
Actual affected numbers are likely significantly higher, given Downdetector’s reliance on user-submitted data.
As a cornerstone for businesses worldwide, the disruption is expected to ripple through interconnected services.
Industry leaders OpenAI and Anthropic have both reported operational challenges linked to the outage.
OpenAI, known for ChatGPT, is addressing connectivity issues with Microsoft services, impacting some tool functionalities.
Government bodies, including Singapore’s administration and Australia’s intelligence agency, have confirmed exposure to the outage.
In the United Kingdom, the outage has affected general practitioner offices, pharmacies, law enforcement, and educational institutions.
Some GP practices have temporarily halted online patient messaging, while major police forces are urging the public to use phone lines for reports.
