Microsoft’s cloud platform Azure and its suite of productivity tools, Microsoft 365, faced widespread service disruptions on Wednesday, impacting thousands of users across the globe, according to outage tracker Downdetector.
As per the platform, around 16,600 users reported problems with Azure, while nearly 9,000 users experienced outages with Microsoft 365.
🔹 Azure and 365 Services Disrupted
Azure, Microsoft’s flagship cloud platform, powers numerous enterprise and consumer applications worldwide. Any downtime therefore affects not only Microsoft’s own services but also its vast network of clients.
The company confirmed the issue on its Azure status page, noting that teams were investigating problems with the Azure Front Door service and working to restore access.
“We are investigating an issue with the Azure Portal where customers may be experiencing issues accessing the portal,” the company said in a status update.
Microsoft further acknowledged that users may also face issues accessing the Microsoft 365 admin center, with delays and connectivity problems reported across Outlook, Copilot, and other services.
🔹 Ripple Effect Across Popular Platforms
The outage also extended its impact to several major companies, including Starbucks, Kroger, and Costco, whose services rely on Microsoft’s cloud infrastructure.
Downdetector reports indicated disruptions across other Microsoft services like Office 365, Xbox Live, Minecraft, and Copilot.
🔹 Second Major Cloud Outage in Two Weeks
The incident follows a similar outage at Amazon Web Services (AWS) last week, which disrupted major websites such as Reddit and Snapchat, underscoring the growing vulnerability of global digital infrastructure to cloud service failures.
Microsoft has stated that it is reviewing the reports and working on a resolution to fully restore services.
