Microsoft cloud service Office 365 falls over again

Cloud cuckoo land

Any company that things Cloud computing is the way forward forgot to check how many users followed Scott McNealy's vision at Sun (he was the so-called 'visionary' who started this stupid idea, wasn't he?). Oh, Sun doesn't exist any more?

Quelle surprise... Cloud computing doesn't fit with Blue Sky thinking. It's just bonkers.

By SwissMac on 9 Sep 2011

(and that includes Apple).

By SwissMac on 9 Sep 2011

Blue Sky Thinking?

That's when they make you look up, then pick your pockets?

By cheysuli on 9 Sep 2011

GDocs...

...was down a couple of nights ago too. This cloud computing/storage malarkey will never fully take off until both server and access are 100% reliable. (IE never)

By The_Scrote on 9 Sep 2011

Bad for insomniacs

Didn't do me any favours this morning (5:00) particularly as I've just about finished the installation of Office 365 for myself & installed a new router yesterday. Added to that, one of my client's routers had failed, I was thinking terrorist attack!!!

Talk about a wake-up call!

By bronven on 9 Sep 2011

If you want more up time

For more uptime, you have to upgrade to the Office 366 version.

By MJ2010 on 9 Sep 2011

@MJ2010

But that only works in leap years.

By chapelgarth on 9 Sep 2011

100%? Really?

I do appreciate some major outages in a couple of months looks pretty bad (or simply teething issues), but do you really expect a cloud service to offer 100% reliability, uptime and accessibility? Give me a break. 4 or 5 9's is good enough for me.

I've administered internal systems which certainly don't have a 100% reliability record.

If a cloud service is largely reliable, secure and gives me a few less headaches, then I'm all for it. Just make sure you pick the most appropriate service for your needs.

By thematt on 9 Sep 2011

@thematt

Do I expect 100% availability? Yes. Because the alternative to Cloud computing is sitting right in front of me and is available 100% of the time. That is the main competitor to cloud computing - the desktop.

Which business is going to voluntarily switch from an always there tool to one that may or may not be there just when you need it for a vital task?

By SwissMac on 9 Sep 2011

@SwissMac

OK, point taken with regards of localised Office Apps, but be careful lumping the concept of "Cloud computing" into one all encompasing "catch all" category... as convenient as it may be. You may want to familiarise yourself with the extent of services that can be offered via "cloud" and the benefit it brings to orgs.

For sure you cannot beat Office Apps being 100% available at your Desk, but that certainly isn't the be-all and end-all of "Cloud Computing".

Other services offered such as file storage, collaboration, video conferencing, email services, presence can be hugely successful when accessed via the cloud and alliviate all sorts of admin headaches.

On this topic you may want to peruse MS Office 365 SLA - which clealy states 99.9. I'm happy with that for online messaging, file storage and email services.

But I'd pass on core Office apps being held online - I'd agree on that :)

By thematt on 9 Sep 2011

Work out the numbers

99.9% of the year leaves over 8 hours a year uncovered - not necessarily all at the same time. But from what's happened recently, I should think MS have already exceeded their 8 hours allowed downtime.

As for what Cloud Computing is considered to be, for most people this includes things that would normally be on the desktop but are instead hosted in the Cloud.

The only type that seems to work is Data Warehousing with dedicated and exclusive links using Fibre or Microwave with fully redundant systems, which is basically the same as an internal intranet between many sites.

But for what the Cloud Cuckoo providers are trying to sell now, there are security issues, availability issues, longevity issues, reliability issues and cost issues. I have yet to see a concrete benefit other than "You have to have it, it's the next 'big thing' that everyone's after!"

Well, not me.

By SwissMac on 9 Sep 2011

Performance

Broken Cloud... No data No business!

This type of problem ensures a mainframe an Imac and a PC are all equally USELESS.

By lenmontieth on 10 Sep 2011

it not over till the fat lady sings

I was locked out of my hotmail with firefox then I tryed crome but it was still down as confirned on twiter but some one sedjested opra and I was in did my bits cheaked out firefox and crome again and still no joy amazing dos any body hav an explanation

By keptho1 on 11 Sep 2011