The world's tech Giant Microsoft experienced a cloud computing server shutdown last Friday, leading to a worldwide crash of IT systems, computers, and laptops running Windows software, displaying the dreaded Blue Screen of Death. This event plunges computers into an automatic restart and is considered as catastrophic as its namesake death.
Microsoft's server failure seized the breath of global IT systems and computers, sparking chaos in over 40 countries including the United States, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, and India, profoundly affecting air travel services.
Over 2,000 flights cancelled worldwide
The indisputable power of servers is recognized through the mass cancellation of over 2,000 flights, with the USA witnessing the most with 500, and over 50 in India. Additionally, rail and metro services in numerous countries were disrupted, along with banking services grinding to a halt. Events escalated to the extent that TV channels in Germany and the UK temporarily ceased.
Multiple channels went off-air
The Paris Olympics' IT operations halted due to a single server failure. The UK's renowned news channel Sky News was off-air for three hours, and CBBC also experienced a temporary blackout. Germany's hospitals canceled non-emergency operations, and Poland's largest container terminals faced disruptions.
In the UK, the National Rail's IT system collapsed
The UK's National Rail IT system halted, ticketing platforms across Europe ceased, New Zealand's parliamentary network crashed, and supermarkets in Australia were affected. ATM and card payment services were interrupted worldwide, the London Stock Exchange experienced setbacks, and business operations in Indian cities like Hyderabad and Bengaluru were disrupted, significantly affecting air services.
The impact in India?
Rail services in India were unaffected, banking was minimally impacted, and the IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw reassured the public by stating that the government is in constant tour with Microsoft and will soon issue a new tech advisory, specifically addressing private companies affected by the shutdown, predominantly in Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Gurugram.
Microsoft CEO assures a swift resolution
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella stated that an update from CrowdStrike disrupted IT systems globally. He affirmed their awareness of the issue and their collaboration with CrowdStrike and the industry to resolve it.
How did Russia and China avoid the crisis?
Russia and China emerged relatively unscathed, having foreseen the risks of dependency on American tech firms back in 2002. By developing their own technology, they evaded the repercussions felt by many in this tech 'earthquake', underscoring their strategic foresight.
