Widespread Microsoft Outage Disrupts Banks, Airlines, and More

On Friday, Microsoft users across the globe, including major banks, reported significant outages. This came shortly after Microsoft announced that it was progressively resolving an issue affecting access to Microsoft 365 applications and services.

Banking Sector Hit Hard in Australia and New Zealand

News outlets in Australia reported that several banks experienced service disruptions due to lost access to their computer systems. Australia's largest bank, Commonwealth Bank, acknowledged that some customers were unable to transfer money due to the outage. Other affected banks included National Australia Bank (NAB) and Bendigo Bank. Social media users reported difficulties accessing these financial institutions, citing long wait times and service failures.

New Zealand banks also faced similar issues, with some institutions going offline. Social media was abuzz with complaints from users struggling to access their banking services.

Microsoft's Response

In response to the widespread issues, Microsoft 365 posted on X, stating that the company was "working on rerouting the impacted traffic to alternate systems to alleviate impact in a more expedient fashion" and noted a "positive trend in service availability."

Retail Sector Disruptions

The outage also caused significant problems in the retail sector. Australian stores, including Woolworths, experienced long queues as payment systems failed. Customers reported extensive delays and difficulties completing transactions.

Broader Impact Across Sectors

The Microsoft outage extended beyond banking and retail, impacting various other sectors globally. Major airlines, including India’s Akasa, IndiGo, Air India, and SpiceJet, reported operational challenges. In the US, low-cost carriers like Frontier Airlines, Allegiant, and Sun Country also faced service disruptions.

Blue Screen of Death Strikes Windows Users

Millions of Windows users worldwide encountered the infamous Blue Screen of Death, leading to unexpected shutdowns or restarts of their computers. In many cases, computers repeatedly restarted, causing users to lose unsaved data and valuable time.

The ongoing Microsoft outage has caused widespread disruptions across multiple sectors. As Microsoft works to resolve the issue, affected industries are implementing temporary measures to manage operations and minimize inconvenience to their customers.