Google Drive, Docs go offline for more than 5 hours

Google's cloud storage service Drive reportedly experienced a glitch that sent the service unavailable for more than five hours.

The service disruption also affected Google's Docs word processing and Sheet spreadsheet applications, and later its Sites intranet builder, around 2 p.m. US ET.

According to PC World, Google declared after more than five hours that the problem had been solved but didn't clarify what caused the glitch or how many users were affected.

After 10 p.m. on Thursday, the Slides presentation creation app also hit a glitch that lasted for about 30 minutes.

The apps and services affected are used by individuals with free Google accounts and also by organizations with the Google Apps suite, which comes in free and fee-based editions.

The report said that the mega glitch comes the day Microsoft rebranded its SkyDrive and Office Online apps, which compete against Google.