Money Matters, Simplified.
Going tough for T-Mobile
by Jaspreet Virk - October 13, 2009 - comments
In what can be termed as the largest failure for cloud computing in recent history, many T-Mobile sidekick users have lost access to contacts, calendar entries, photographs, and other personal information following massive server failure at Sidekick provider Danger, a Microsoft subsidiary
New York, October 13 -- Things seem to be going from bad to worse for the T-Mobile. Following the massive Sidekick glitch, the cell phone provider has suspended the sales of all Sidekick devices in its retail stores and online.
The company said in a statement that it is halting the sales to resolve the recent disruption.
In what can be termed as the largest failure for cloud computing in recent history, many T-Mobile sidekick users have lost access to contacts, calendar entries, photographs, and other personal information following massive server failure at Sidekick provider Danger, a Microsoft subsidiary.
Currently there are around one million Sidekick subscribers.
Though T-Mobile had previously warned that the data not recovered so far may be permanently lost, it said yesterday that some data might be recoverable. In its latest statement Monday the company said, "Recent efforts indicate the prospects of recovering some lost content may now be possible."
But despite this ray of hope, problems are aggravating for the cell phone provider.
Customer banned from Sidekick Web forum
Recently, a Sidekick owner Richard Anderson has claimed that his angry post complaining about the loss of personal data on his sidekick hand set has been deleted from the company’s forum.
Anderson has further claimed that the company is deleting posts of users attempting to file a class action suit against the company.
“3700 messages of frustrated Sidekick subscribers of 10+ days have been deleted from TMobile's forums. This is a sad, sad, sad, thing,” stated Anderson on his blog.
The disgruntled Sidekick owner has now taken to his blog encouraging Sidekick owners to file complaints against the cell phone provider.
End users’ outrage mounts
Though T-Mobile is apologizing and offering $100 compensation for those who suffer permanent data loss, it has not done enough to pacify the end users. In fact, their rage has only mounted over the last few days.
A sidekick user named matty3g commented on engadget.com, “I am one of the un lucky ones who has lost all of this i am 22 had my sidekick for about 3 years and i had about 300 contacts buddys from school alot of clients from work i lost all of that important emails photos i do not think this is worth it. I would pay $100 just to get my stuff back.”
“This is an EPIC FAIL for not keeping proper backups. The cloud is as good as the brains that run it. Stupid brains = Fail Cloud,” commented another user named r1ddl3r on neowin.net.