Key facts
- At least 74 countries were affected by the Microsoft outage, which was detected after midday US Eastern Time on Thursday.
- Microsoft said Teams, Outlook and Copilot were experiencing connectivity problems.
- OpenAI said it was investigating an issue affecting its connections to Microsoft's services.
- Workhorse Group moved its third-quarter results to November 16 from November 12, citing business disruptions.
- Australia's ASIO head Mike Burgess said the impact on spy and police agencies was mostly on email systems.
- Euronext advised listed companies to use the phone for corporate information, Reuters reported.
A Microsoft 365 outage detected after midday US Eastern Time on Thursday affected at least 74 countries, Microsoft said, with Teams, Outlook and Copilot experiencing connectivity problems. The company said it was working to restore services.
In the US, the City of Austin posted on X early on Friday that employees could not send or receive email, while phone lines and 911 services remained operational. Courts from Los Angeles to Texas warned that communications might be delayed. OpenAI said it was investigating an issue affecting its connections to Microsoft's services, and electric truck maker Workhorse Group moved its third-quarter results to November 16 from November 12, citing business disruptions.
In Canada, Unity Health Toronto, which runs several hospitals in Toronto, declared a code grey, indicating an infrastructure failure, and said patient care was not affected. Japan's government said its shared IT platform had been disrupted, and Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Masanao Ozaki said Microsoft was working to restore services. Singapore's Government Technology Agency confirmed some government systems were affected but said emergency services remained fully operational, and the country's courts reported email issues.
In India, a senior executive at a brokerage said on condition of anonymity that Teams calls with clients had been a challenge. Australia's ASIO head Mike Burgess said the impact on spy and federal police agencies was mostly on email systems. In the UK, GP surgeries, police forces and pharmacies were affected, and a parliamentary spokesperson said the global issue was impacting users of the parliamentary network.
Euronext advised listed companies on Friday morning to use the phone to communicate corporate information, Reuters reported. Downdetector data indicated some parts of Asia, Europe and Africa remained unaffected, including Russia, though the report said under-reporting was possible where the site is blocked.