Tech failures were common in 2013
Business Technology | February 20, 2014
The past year was not without its major tech disasters. And the Telegraph newspaper wasn’t shy about trumpeting them. In its year-end look at the biggest tech failures of 2013, the Telegraph focused on three miscues that truly showed how tech can backfire when it’s not properly tested or monitored.
A healthcare fiasco
To no one’s surprise, the Healthcare.gov fiasco tops the Telegraph’s list of 2013 tech screw-ups. And why not? Once the website debuted, it simply didn’t work. Consumers couldn’t log on. Even if they could, they couldn’t find the insurance information they required. The website’s failure has been the biggest embarrassment of Obama’s second term.
Sabre’s travel mess-up
Then you have the Sabre travel-booking system. During the height of the school holidays, Sabre’s worldwide reservation system — a system employed by more than 300 airlines — crashed. This caused flight cancellations and delays for what the Telegraph says were thousands and thousands of passengers.
Walmart reneges on a bargain
Walmart’s website in October appeared to offer huge bargains: Computer equipment valued at $500 being sold for just $8.99. Not surprisingly, consumers grabbed the offer. One problem: It was an IT mistake. Walmart didn’t honor the discount prices. Its shareholders were happy. However ,, as the Telegraph says, its customers were not, and they weren’t shy about announcing this on social media.
The past year was not without its major tech disasters. And the Telegraph newspaper wasn’t shy about trumpeting them. In its year-end look at the biggest tech failures of 2013, the Telegraph focused on three miscues that truly showed how tech can backfire when it’s not properly tested or monitored.
A healthcare fiasco
To no one’s surprise, the Healthcare.gov fiasco tops the Telegraph’s list of 2013 tech screw-ups. And why not? Once the website debuted, it simply didn’t work. Consumers couldn’t log on. Even if they could, they couldn’t find the insurance information they required. The website’s failure has been the biggest embarrassment of Obama’s second term.
Sabre’s travel mess-up
Then you have the Sabre travel-booking system. During the height of the school holidays, Sabre’s worldwide reservation system — a system employed by more than 300 airlines — crashed. This caused flight cancellations and delays for what the Telegraph says were thousands and thousands of passengers.
Walmart reneges on a bargain
Walmart’s website in October appeared to offer huge bargains: Computer equipment valued at $500 being sold for just $8.99. Not surprisingly, consumers grabbed the offer. One problem: It was an IT mistake. Walmart didn’t honor the discount prices. Its shareholders were happy. However ,, as the Telegraph says, its customers were not, and they weren’t shy about announcing this on social media.