Microsoft, global leader in technology, reported a major outage on Friday, July 19, 2024, affecting various enterprises worldwide, including several airports, banking institutions, and television networks.
The security firm Crowdstrike was the first to report the incident, which may have been caused by a recent software update. Disruptions have been reported in multiple countries, including India, Japan, Australia, Germany, and Belgium.
The largest railway operator in the UK announced on Friday that it is facing IT issues that could lead to last-minute cancellations. “We are currently experiencing widespread IT problems across our network,” stated the four railway companies of the Govia Thameslink Railway group on social media. Airline Ryanair also urged its passengers to “arrive at the airport at least three hours before their scheduled departure time.”
Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport said on its website that the outage was having a “major impact on flights” to and from the busy European hub.
In Germany, Berlin Airport said Friday morning that “due to a technical fault, there will be delays in check-in.” It said that flights were suspended until 10 a.m. (0800GMT), German news agency DPA reported.
The New Zealand banks ASB and Kiwibank said their services were down.
The impacts are being felt not only in the transport sector and financial institutions but also among media companies.
News outlets in Australia, including ABC and Sky News were unable to broadcast on their TV and radio channels. Some news anchors broadcast live online from dark offices, in front of computers showing “blue screens of death.”
In response to this situation, Microsoft confirmed that it is investigating an issue affecting users’ access to various Microsoft 365 applications and services. In a statement, the company said it is taking “mitigation steps” to resolve the problems.
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