Video conferencing giant Zoom suffered a major outage on Wednesday, leaving thousands of users unable to access its platform or join meetings. The issue, which began around 11:40 a.m. Pacific, was resolved by 2 p.m. the same day, according to a post on X, the social media platform.

The outage was widespread, with over 59,000 users reporting issues on outage-tracking site DownDetector.com by noon. Users took to social media to express their frustration, complaining of "Unable to Connect" error messages when trying to log in or join meetings. Zoom's website and media inquiry inbox were also affected, leaving users and journalists alike in the dark.

The cause of the outage remains unclear, with Zoom yet to provide an official explanation. However, speculation is rife, with some pointing to a potential DNS-related issue. A Reddit thread discussing the outage suggests that DNS resolution may have been the root cause, although this has not been confirmed by Zoom.

When reached for comment, a Zoom spokesperson referred TechCrunch to the company's X post, which apologized for the inconvenience and thanked users for their patience. The brief statement did little to alleviate concerns, leaving many wondering what triggered the outage and how it will be prevented in the future.

The outage is a significant blow to Zoom, which has become an essential tool for remote work and virtual meetings. The company's platform is used by millions of users worldwide, and any disruption to its service can have far-reaching consequences for businesses and individuals alike. This latest incident may raise questions about the reliability of Zoom's infrastructure and its ability to handle high traffic volumes.

As the world becomes increasingly reliant on cloud-based services, outages like this one serve as a reminder of the importance of robust infrastructure and contingency planning. While Zoom has restored its service, the incident highlights the need for greater transparency and communication from cloud providers in the event of outages.

In the aftermath of the outage, Zoom will need to work to regain user trust and confidence. This may involve providing a detailed explanation of the cause and implementing measures to prevent similar incidents in the future. As the company continues to grow and expand its user base, it must prioritize the reliability and stability of its platform to maintain its position as a leading cloud computing provider.