Worldwide Skype outage finally fixed

A major Skype outage that left users of the app-based version of the online messaging service unable to make calls or log in to the service on Monday 21 September has now been resolved. 

The service is understood to have run into technical difficulties around 9am GMT, with the administrator of the Microsoft-owned messaging tool confirming Skype was working on a fix.

The problems left some users unable to log in to the app, update their status or see if their other contacts are online, while others hit issues trying to send or receive calls.

In a blog post, the Skype tech team said users should still be able to exchange instant messages with their friends, before confirming that the browser-based version of the software seemed to be unaffected by the fault.

In an updated post, published just before midnight on 21 September 2015, the company said the issue had been fixed and normal service had resumed.

“We have identified the network issue which prevented users from logging in and using Skype today. We’re in the process of reconnecting our users. The issue did not affect Skype for Business users,” it added. 

The timing of the unexpected outage proved a major source of consternation for UK-based users, as the free app is popular among businesses for aiding communication and collaboration between teams, and the downtime started when many of them would be starting work.

As the issues continued into the afternoon GMT – when the US comes online – this prompted a fresh wave of complaints on social media from disgruntled business users.

Hannah Maundrell, personal finance expert and editor-in-chief of credit card comparison website money.co.uk, said downtime episodes such as this could result in users turning their backs on the software in droves if it becomes a common occurrence.

“Consumers and businesses simply want a service they can rely on. There’s no brand loyalty when it comes to free calls. If Skype can’t deliver then users will quickly jump ship to a platform that can,” she said.

“These issues come at a bad time for Skype; with ICQ, WhatsApp, Viber and more now offering free calls, they’re up against the clock. The longer the problems go unresolved, the more users the company will haemorrhage.”