Last month, a botched security software update to Microsoft computers led to a global IT outage, with companies like Delta Air Lines scrambling to get operations back up and running as quickly as possible. Delta has since spoken out about Microsoft and CrowdStrike’s failure to help fix the problem, but both have since retracted those claims.
Microsoft rejected the idea that it had refused to help Delta recover more quickly from the outage on August 6. A letter from attorney Mark Cheffo said that while the underlying issue was with CrowdStrike, Microsoft “immediately stepped in and offered to help Delta free of charge.” (CrowdStrike announced on August 4 that it had rejected Delta's offers to speed up the recovery.) The memo noted that Microsoft employees asked Delta employees every day from July 19-23 if they needed help.
“On the morning of July 22, a Microsoft employee, aware that Delta was struggling to recover more than other airlines, texted a Delta employee and said, 'I just wanted to let you know and there's no pressure to respond, but if you can think of anything your Microsoft team can help with today, just let me know,'” the letter reads. CNN“The Delta employee responded saying, 'Everything's fine. Great, I'll let you know and thank you.'”
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella also reportedly emailed Delta CEO Ed Bastian on July 24. The tech giant claimed that Delta's outdated technology systems could explain why the company rejected its offer of assistance.
“It is quickly becoming apparent that Delta's most problematic IT system for resuming Microsoft's assistance is that the IT system it is most problematic to restore (its crew tracking and scheduling system) is hosted by other technology providers, such as IBM, and is running on those providers' systems, not Microsoft Windows or Azure,” the letter said. The company's preliminary review shows that Delta has “not modernized its IT infrastructure” as its competitors have.
In response to these allegations, Delta assured customers that its systems were up to date. “Delta has a long history of investing in safe, reliable and high-quality service for our customers and employees,” the airline said in a statement. New York Times“Since 2016, Delta has invested billions of dollars in IT capital expenditures, in addition to the billions spent annually on IT operating costs.”
Related: Delta CEO Reveals End Date for Company's Travel Crisis
This condemnation came after Bastian sat out for a week CNBC interviewed and blamed the long recovery period—the longest of any major U.S. airline—on Microsoft and CrowdStrike. “They didn’t offer us anything. Free consulting advice to help us,” he said bluntly. He also hinted at legal action over lost profits during that period.
“[The issue is] “We're heavy on Microsoft and CrowdStrike, and both of them. We're the heaviest in the industry by far with both of them. And so we've been the hardest hit in terms of recovery,” Bastian said. “I think it's a call to arms to the industry. Everybody's talking about making sure Big Tech is accountable. Well, guys, it's cost us half a billion dollars.”
“We have no choice” about filing a lawsuit, Bastian said.
“[We lost money] “Over a five-day period, not just lost revenue, but compensation and tens of millions of dollars per day for hotels, and we did everything we could to take care of our customers during that time period,” he said. “You can't come to a mission-critical, 24/7 operation and tell us we made a mistake. It's not working.”
Fortunately, your travel plans for the rest of the summer won't be affected.