REDMOND (dpa-AFX) - Millions of people who depend on Microsoft's workplace applications faced an unexpected digital roadblock after a massive outage disrupted several Microsoft 365 services worldwide.
Microsoft has acknowledged the disruption and said it was working to restore affected services.
Microsoft has clarified that the outage, which started on November 12, was due to an unexpected failure that left several servers unavailable and placed additional strain on the remaining operational infrastructure, disrupting access to multiple Microsoft 365 services.
Microsoft 365 status on X also states, 'We're investigating reports of users experiencing issues accessing Exchange Online mailboxes through multiple connection methods in the Americas.'
Popular platforms, including Outlook, Microsoft Teams, Copilot, SharePoint and OneDrive, were among the services affected, triggering widespread frustration among employees, businesses, and organisations.
The outage primarily affected Exchange Online, Microsoft's cloud-based email infrastructure that powers Outlook and supports several other Microsoft 365 applications.
Users also reported problems accessing their mailboxes through Outlook's web and desktop versions, while some experienced delayed email delivery or were unable to connect altogether.
Microsoft is mitigating the disruption through deployment pauses, traffic redistribution and server restarts across the affected infrastructure.
The Microsoft 365 disruption also highlights a challenge of relying heavily on a few cloud-based platforms for workplace communication and productivity.
Copyright(c) 2026 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved
Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX
© 2026 AFX News
