UPDATED: Slack suffers global outage and later claims to have fixed it

Slack suffers connectivity issues

UPDATES:

17:51 - An update on Slack's website claims that the problem has been isolated and a fix implemented.

"We're happy to report that workspaces should be able to connect again, as we've isolated the problem. Some folks may need to refresh (Ctrl + R or Cmd + R). If you're still experiencing issues, please drop us a line at @[email protected]," it says.

17:18 - Slack reports that it may finally have found the cause of the problem.

17:00 - Slack is still down for the majority of users as the UK's working day moves towards a close. Reports suggest that messaging app Telegram and parts of Google Home are also down, leading to speculation that there is a broader problem affecting sections of the internet's infrastructure.

16:00 - Some users are reporting that connectivity has been restored, but Slack itself has said that it is still working on restoring the service.

There are still a large number of people reporting problems from around the world according to downdetector.com.

15:30 - Slack appears to be providing half-hourly updates over Twitter. However, there is still no indication as to what's behind the issues, and when they might be resolved.

ORIGINAL STORY BELOW:

Instant messaging and collaboration platform Slack is currently suffering a global outage.

Some users have been forced offline, whilst others report seeing a continually repeating message stating that the platform is attempting to reconnect them.

The service went offline just before 2:30pm BST.

Slack has posted several messages to its site stating that it's looking into the issues.

"We've received word that all workspaces are having troubles connecting to Slack. We're currently investigating the issue, and will have updates shortly," it posted in the first message.

"Our team is still looking into the cause of the connectivity issues, and we'll continue to update you on our progress," it posted approximately 30 minutes later.

It posted similar messages to Twitter.

Many users have also taken to Twitter to share their angst at the outage.

Some claim to have taken the opportunity to actually interact with their colleagues in the real world.

When the platform actually works, Slack has been cited by many as a superior alternative to email.

This story will be updated as we hear more about the cause of the outage, and the timing of a potential fix.