Microsoft did not elaborate on what when wrong when customers around the globe found they could not log on to their Hotmail e-mail account.

Problems were reported in the United States, Britain, Finland, the Netherlands, Honduras, France and the Czech Republic, the Times of London reported.

Microsoft purchased Hotmail, which 24 percent of online consumers use for their e-mail, in 2004.

On Wednesday, it said "this issue has been resolved," although some Hotmail users in Britain were still experiencing difficulties, the report said.