MESSAGE
| DATE | 2004-11-30 |
| FROM | From: "Inker, Evan"
|
| SUBJECT | Subject: [hangout] Microsoft upgrade knocks out 80,000 government PCs
|
Microsoft upgrade knocks out 80,000 government PCs
Ingrid Marson
ZDNet UK
Story URL:
http://news.zdnet.co.uk/software/windows/0,39020396,39175160,00.htm
November 26, 2004, 12:10 GMT
Staff at the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) were unable to use their
PCs this week after a routine software upgrade knocked out 80 percent of the
PC in the sprawling department, which numbers some 100,000 employees.
"We had problems with a routine software upgrade affecting desktop PCs,"
said a DWP spokesperson on Friday. "There have been delays with dealing with
new or amended claims because many staff have not been able to access their
systems. We have been working overnight with our suppliers to resolve the PC
problems and nearly all users can now access their business systems."
The spokesperson confirmed that 80 percent of computers were brought down,
and that its main suppliers are Microsoft and EDS.
Microsoft said that the issue has now been fully resolved, but was unable to
provide any information on what caused the crash. EDS did not immediately
respond to requests for comment.
"Microsoft is aware of the issue," said Microsoft the spokesperson. "We
worked closely with our partners to help rectify the situation and to
support the DWP."
The Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS), the union which represents
civil and public servants in central government, said that the number of
employees is around 130,000 full-time equivalents, with approximately
100,000 terminals, which would put the number of desktop computers affected
at 80,000. A DWP spokesperson denied the figure of 100,000, saying that it
employs only 80,000 staff, but did not have any figures on the number of
desktop computers in operation.
The PCS said that the news of IT problems at the Department for Work and
Pensions, calls into question the feasibility of axing 30,000 jobs on the
basis of IT improvements.
"There was anecdotal evidence of Giros being written by hand and services in
large parts of the country being severely limited as it emerged there had
been major IT problems across the department since Monday," said a PCS
spokesman.
Work and pensions secretary Alan Johnson has ordered an internal inquiry
into the role of Microsoft and EDS, who run the ministry's network as part
of a £2bn information technology deal, according to The Guardian.
By Thursday night, 95 percent of desktops were fully functional and the
department claims that the impact on customers has been minimal.
This disruption is the latest in a line of government technology failures,
which included the failure of the £450m IT project at the Child Support
Agency and the collapse of the £500m Electronic Benefits Transfer System in
August.
IT consultancy Avanade -- the joint venture between Microsoft and Accenture
-- warned companies on Friday that the urgent need to migrate from Windows
NT 4.0 before Microsoft withdraws support has caused problems for companies.
"With the imminent retirement of support for Windows NT4.0, the migration
space has become increasingly frenetic over the past few months," said an
Avanade spokesperson. "Avanade has identified that its customers are under
increasing pressure to migrate quickly, but are concerned that with
increased speed of migration comes risk."
For more reaction to the DWP debacle, read ZDNet UK's interview with Liberal
Democrat IT spokesperson Richard Allan.
Regards,
Evan M. Inker (New York) x. 4615
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