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Topic: Collaboration

Google suffering from widespread Gmail service disruption

Summary: Google is currently working to resolve a widespread Gmail issue, with many taking to social media sites to vent their frustrations.

Zack Whittaker

By for Between the Lines |

Users have been quick to report on Twitter that Google's hosted email service is suffering from widespread disruption.

Google's Dashboard, the service which displays the health of the Google's online services, shows that Gmail for Google Apps is currently suffering a "service outage", adding:

"Google Mail service has already been restored for some users, and we expect a resolution for all users in the near future. Please note this time frame is an estimate and may change."

Some users are reporting that pages simply will not load, with others receiving "Error 718" messages when they access their account. The error suggests a server-side error, according to Google's help forums.

According to the company, "Google is currently investigating" an issue with the email service, which started around 11:40 am PT.

It is not clear what is causing the disruption, or whether the adverse weather in the United States is a resulting factor.

Google Apps is separate from the consumer Gmail version, and reserved for organisations and businesses with a paid subscription to the service.

At 1:10 pm PT, Google's status pages updated to show that though the disruption continues, some users now have access to their email accounts.

The search giant only recently reported that its Google Apps service achieved 99.984 uptime this year, equating to less than five minutes of downtime on average per month.

This came only a few days after UK advertising authorities began an investigation into the claims Microsoft made over its cloud services, which had faltered numerous times, leaving many Office 365 customers without email or communications for periods of half-days at a time.

Update: Google has updated the Dashboard to confirm that the short-lived outage has now ended:

"The problem with Google Mail should be resolved. We apologize for the inconvenience and thank you for your patience and continued support. Please rest assured that system reliability is a top priority at Google, and we are making continuous improvements to make our systems better."

Google was unable to explain what had caused the outage at this stage.

Related:

Topics: Collaboration, Apps, Browser, Cloud, Google, Outage

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21 comments
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  • RE: Google suffering from Gmail widespread service disruption

    They were bad mouthing MS last month, now take that...
    owlnet
    Reply Vote

    • RE: Google suffering from Gmail widespread service disruption

      @owlnet
      Not saying you're wrong, but link please.
      anono
      Reply Vote

      • RE: Google suffering from Gmail widespread service disruption

        @anono
        see "related" links above.
        karma will get you every time, more so when your smug little empire is built on wobbly foundations.
        hubivedder
        Reply Vote

      • RE: Google suffering from Gmail widespread service disruption

        @hubivedder<br>It's not Google that's investigating Microsoft for false advertising claims, it's the UK authorities.

        I skimmed through the links. I don't see Google bad mouthing MS anywhere. Again, I'm not saying you're wrong, but link please. Maybe a quote too.
        anono
        Reply Vote

    • RE: Google suffering from Gmail widespread service disruption

      @owlnet

      I think it was the Anti-Microsoft Crowd that was bashing Microsoft and not Google. There was a study that showed that Google had higher uptime and the Anti-MS crowd used that as fuel to try and bash Microsoft and praise Google.

      All this shows is crap happens.
      bobiroc
      Reply Vote

  • RE: Google suffering from Gmail widespread service disruption

    What OS are they running?
    LoverockDavidson_-24231404894599612871915491754222
    Reply Vote

    • Meh,what goes around, comes around

      @LoverockDavidson_

      Technology is complicated these days -- in many cases, needlessly so--no OS is immune.

      Sure, its fashionable to criticize M$ for anything they do, but all O$'s have similar issues.
      otaddy
      Reply Vote

    • Re: What OS are they running?

      @LoverockDavidson_ One that's still a bit more reliable than Microsoft, all things considered. One that doesn't require you to go around all the vendor websites for new drivers every time you do a system update, only to find that your hardware is not supported on the new system any more and the vendor wants you to buy the new model. One that isn't still stuck on drive letters and continually suffers registry corruption to the point where it will no longer boot and requires a clean reinstall.
      ldo17
      Reply Vote

      • RE: Google suffering from Gmail widespread service disruption

        @ldo17 REALLY? And what is this magical new operating system that doesn't require vendor supplied drivers the control a HUGE number of chips, controllers and peripherals that are part of today's machines?

        I'd love to run the OS that doesn't require any 3rd party drivers.
        bitcrazed
        Reply Vote

      • Re: And what is this magical new operating system?

        @bitcrazed It's called "Linux". The standard kernel includes drivers supporting more hardware than any other OS. Even the hardware vendors contribute drivers to the Linux kernel, And because these drivers are maintained as a standard part of the kernel source, you don't hit the situation where your old device stops working after an OS upgrade, and the vendor won't provide a driver update because they want you to buy the new model. With Linux, you still get a working driver.
        ldo17
        Reply Vote

  • RE: Google suffering from Gmail widespread service disruption

    Great job Zack in manuvering the message in to a positive spin for Google. That was some masterful writing. Start with an attention grabbing headline and end with a little MS bashing and a pat on the back for Google. Well done.
    Skippy99
    Reply Vote

  • Hey, but the cloud works! Well, sometimes.

    More reason for anyone with a real need for communications to not depend on cloud services. Personally I could care less, I can't stand much with anything Google on it. I think people really need to rethink the cloud. Its not that servers can't do it. Its that man can't seem to keep them going.
    jscott418-22447200638980614791982928182376
    Reply Vote

  • Google's weather control

    "It is not clear what is causing the disruption, or whether the adverse weather in the United States is a resulting factor."
    Zack, do you mean "resulting"? I'm not sure that Google's gmail service implements the Weather Control API just yet..!
    techrepublic@...
    Reply Vote

  • RE: Google suffering from Gmail widespread service disruption

    http://href.to/xEE
    kksdhi
    Reply Vote

  • RE: Google suffering from Gmail widespread service disruption

    http://href.to/xEE
    kksdhi
    Reply Vote

  • RE: Google suffering from Gmail widespread service disruption

    "...in the near future. Please note this time frame is an estimate and may change.???

    Wonderful, and undefined timeframe is only estimate and might change. Way to go! :)
    danbi
    Reply Vote

  • RE: Google suffering from Gmail widespread service disruption

    "It is not clear... whether the adverse weather in the United States is a resulting factor." So a Gmail outage may now be able to affect meteorological conditions? Wow, they really are getting out of hand. Or did you mean a contributing factor?
    Ginevra
    Reply Vote

  • RE: Google suffering from Gmail widespread service disruption

    STOMP AND CRY ALL U WANT.

    FYI. IT IS A FREE APP AND SERVICE..
    bobd1950@...
    Reply Vote

  • RE: Google suffering from Gmail widespread service disruption

    i hope that this issue would be resolved sooner..
    <a href="http://www.m6.net/">ASP.Net Hosting</a>
    ahsima1
    Reply Vote

  • RE: Google suffering from Gmail widespread service disruption

    Google seems pretty powerful - a gmail outage can affect the weather
    "It is not clear what is causing the disruption, or whether the adverse weather in the United States is a resulting factor."

    This must make them more powerful than msoft and apple.
    mick@...
    Reply Vote
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