Digital distribution has rendered many things obsolete. CDs, DVDs, books, and magazines can be relics of the past. You don't even have to look that hard to find stories to prove this point; Official Xbox Magazine had to close its doors today. But this isn't the only Microsoft ($MSFT) related entity to be in trouble this week: the Seattle giant's cloud servers are being truly tested in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak.

Microsoft Teams, Azure cloud computing, Xbox Live servers, Microsoft store online, Windows downloads, and many others are feeling the crunch now more than ever. With so many extra people working from home, using services they wouldn't otherwise, there is a greater demand for internet usage from Microsoft products and platforms. A 775% increase, to be exact.

“In response to health authorities emphasizing the importance of social distancing, we’ve seen usage increases in services that support these scenarios—including Microsoft Teams, Windows Virtual Desktop, and Power BI.” - statement from Microsoft

All of Microsoft's social media accounts have seen an increase in activity, which makes sense, as stories continue to flood in about the overloading of capacity on websites and services. Xbox Live has had to adjust for gamers around the world playing more...we mean, working from home more. With no Microsoft stores to go into and shop, online ordering is also booming, which only adds to the burden of MS's online infrastructure.

Followers, likes, and 'talking about' count on both Twitter and Facebook have all gone up for every single account owned by Microsoft across the board. It's no coincidence that people will follow accounts not only to complain, but to look for official announcements and updates on all Microsoft services, products, and platforms.

The number of Github users, both guest and logged in users, has gone up 21% since the start of the year. More users, more problems, more companies relying on Github to get their work done efficiently and on time; it's all a recipe for both tremendous growth for Microsoft, and a lot of headaches in the short term.

About the Data:

Thinknum tracks companies using the information they post online - jobs, social and web traffic, product sales and app ratings - and creates data sets that measure factors like hiring, revenue and foot traffic. Data sets may not be fully comprehensive (they only account for what is available on the web), but they can be used to gauge performance factors like staffing and sales. 

Further Reading: 

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