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TechSpot RSSMobile Computing
Microsoft/Danger: It's a Sidekick disaster, data gone?
We recently published an update on this story here.
After numerous service interruptions during the past week, on Sunday afternoon T-Mobile informed owners of the Sidekick smartphone that user data, which is stored in Microsoft/Danger's servers could have been lost for good. By design, the T-Mobile Sidekick doesn't store much of its user data on the device itself, but uses the cloud for storing address book information, photos, calendar and application downloads. And while service outages are still commonplace in today's cloud-based services, this could be one of the most high-profile data loss occurrences in recent history.
Reportedly, the data loss was caused by a failed upgrade to Danger's storage area network, only to discover later that no backup was available. Microsoft's involvement only aggravates the issue (they acquired Danger in 2008). Undoubtedly, this will come as a complete blow to Microsoft's image, both as a cloud service provider (see Azure) and to its mobile platform division, having just recently announced the Windows Phone initiative.
An official follow-up statement is expected Monday regarding the status of the potential backups. In the meantime, T-Mobile is alerting its affected customers (number not disclosed), letting them know they shouldn't remove the Sidekick's battery, reset the devices or let them lose power. Syncing with a desktop application should be a safe measure to be taken at this point if your Sidekick has some info on it.
After numerous service interruptions during the past week, on Sunday afternoon T-Mobile informed owners of the Sidekick smartphone that user data, which is stored in Microsoft/Danger's servers could have been lost for good. By design, the T-Mobile Sidekick doesn't store much of its user data on the device itself, but uses the cloud for storing address book information, photos, calendar and application downloads. And while service outages are still commonplace in today's cloud-based services, this could be one of the most high-profile data loss occurrences in recent history.
Reportedly, the data loss was caused by a failed upgrade to Danger's storage area network, only to discover later that no backup was available. Microsoft's involvement only aggravates the issue (they acquired Danger in 2008). Undoubtedly, this will come as a complete blow to Microsoft's image, both as a cloud service provider (see Azure) and to its mobile platform division, having just recently announced the Windows Phone initiative.
An official follow-up statement is expected Monday regarding the status of the potential backups. In the meantime, T-Mobile is alerting its affected customers (number not disclosed), letting them know they shouldn't remove the Sidekick's battery, reset the devices or let them lose power. Syncing with a desktop application should be a safe measure to be taken at this point if your Sidekick has some info on it.
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User Comments (9)
Post a comment| Guest on October 12, 2009 12:35 AM | Haha Microsoft f*ed up. I wonder how much they'll be sued |
| ---agissi--- on October 12, 2009 1:19 AM | Lets start a trend and have some class. It goes both ways. |
| yukka on October 12, 2009 3:55 AM | Not good when a cloud backup company loses data but I still think the cloud idea is flawed and it will take a few outrages like this to get that across to people. It should just be another backup option, not the only option. |
| Phantasm66 on October 12, 2009 5:30 AM | Without a doubt someone will be blamed for this, and even perhaps the story will be that they were not doing what they were told to do. |
| Vrmithrax on October 12, 2009 7:38 AM | Seriously, how do you not have multiple redundant backups on cloud data? I mean, part of the whole appeal of cloud services is that you can run them from smaller platforms and you are less likely to lose your information due to your own system breaking down. Things like this will set the whole cloud public relations reputation back quite a bit. And I'm sure there will be a lovely class action suit coming down the pike. |
| Guest on October 12, 2009 3:20 PM | Well, couldn't this just be an MS way to make trouble for the SideKick line? SideKick users will only remember that this phone and TMobile screwed them and not Microsoft / Danger. No, only people who have enhanced technical awareness will know this or remember. They are probably more apt to buy a Windows Phone which ofcourse happens to be what Microsoft is trying to peddle. Thoughts? |
| Guest on October 12, 2009 3:22 PM | It also amuses me that all of these industries look at Torrents and other distributed sites like that and extract 'cloud computing' but don't really have it all decentralized and redundantly pervasive. Good work everyone. |
| Matthew on October 12, 2009 3:47 PM | How long before a class action suit surfaces? |
| tengeta on October 12, 2009 4:55 PM | It may be Microsoft first, but I'm fairly sure this will be typical of cloud storage services as time goes on. |
