Virgin Media taps Microsoft in lengthy email outage

Virgin Media taps Microsoft in lengthy email outage

Daniel Fleshbourne via The Reg on 18 February 2008 - 16:08 · 14 comments & 10234 views

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Virgin Media customers have been suffering email outages for several days, prompting the firm to call in Microsoft engineers to help with an urgent upgrade. A mysterious configuration problem was identified on one of VM's eight email server clusters last Wednesday. Microsft engineers have struggled to identify the cause, forcing several reboots. The ongoing failure has affected about 10 per cent of VM's 3.6 million subscribers.

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#1 dev on 18 Feb 2008 - 16:26

the original article only states 10% of the ex-TW customers, of which there aren't 3.6million

(2 replies) #2 Nighthawk-F117 on 18 Feb 2008 - 17:00

I wonder why Microsoft have been called in when VM use Squirrel Mail....

#2.1 +WindowsNT on 18 Feb 2008 - 17:10

I would guess they use Windows box's to host the mail servers hence why they were called in.

#2.2 bucko on 18 Feb 2008 - 19:54

yes and they probably pay MS a lot of money each year for IT Engineer support as well. I would if I had that sort of money.

#3 markjensen on 18 Feb 2008 - 20:31

Hah! Sucks to be with them and not have your email!

Good thing I have Charter!

Oh, wait...
http://www.wndu.com/technology/headlines/14371862.html

#4 -Vendetta- on 18 Feb 2008 - 21:44

I use Virgin Media and my Virgin Media email account is and has been working just fine.

#5 coolio319 on 18 Feb 2008 - 21:48

Does this mean I might not get some of my emails at all (if I'm affected)? Or does it just mean I'll get them late...? Been expecting an important email since last Friday, ****ing great timing.

#6 +aniv on 18 Feb 2008 - 23:48

Microsft engineers have struggled to identify the cause, forcing several reboots. The ongoing failure has affected about 10 per cent of VM's 3.6 million subscribers.

Should read Microsoft Engineers.

#7 PeteWhite on 19 Feb 2008 - 00:44

We're on VM, I've been getting my e-mails ok, but my wife is having major problems access her mailbox, even though were on the same account!

As an aside, at work they were carrying out maintenance on the e-mail server, the final line of their notice was...

"...we apologise for any incontinence". I LOL'd.

Pete

(1 reply) #8 Thrawn on 19 Feb 2008 - 00:53

SquirrelMail is teh worst e-mail solution evar. They should have used Outlook server or something :p

#8.1 ]SK[ on 19 Feb 2008 - 07:02

Whats Outlook Server?
If you mean exchange you do realise each mailbox would require VM to buy a CAL?

(2 replies) #9 ]EGG[ on 19 Feb 2008 - 01:41

I've been without email for 5 days now but it started working again late this afternoon.

I'ts been really frustrating not having access to my emails and I'll be spending most of tomorrow replying to them

Wish it was still run by Telewest and not Virgin.

Virgin Media are akin to the horrible unlikable child everyone knew from their school days that was the teachers pet and would tell tales at every given chance. I say this as I'm not liking the way Virgin jumped up to volunteer to monitor 'illegal' internet traffic and report detailed stats back to the government with regard to the governments proposed illegal usage policy plans. They also seem over keen on capping and threating users with disconnection etc.

I hate 'em with a passion now and if their was a better cheaper alternative for combined TV, Phone and fast reliable Internet I'd swap tomorrow.

#9.1 monkey13 on 19 Feb 2008 - 10:04

EGG[ said,#9]
I hate 'em with a passion now and if their was a better cheaper alternative for combined TV, Phone and fast reliable Internet I'd swap tomorrow.

If it's better surely you'd swap regardless of your Virgin Media Opinion.

#9.2 Mr Fish on 19 Feb 2008 - 20:25

EGG[ said,#9]if their was a better cheaper alternative for combined TV, Phone and fast reliable Internet I'd swap tomorrow.

The cheaper alternative is to not have a combined package. Shop around.

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Virgin Media taps Microsoft in lengthy email outage

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