OMEN
08-22-2007, 08:36 PM
Telecom customers could face a further day of computer headaches as a botched attempt to upgrade e-mail services has left some fuming users considering changing providers.
The company has moved 800,000 Internet mail boxes from its Xtra service to Bubble, a new Yahoo-hosted platform.
Telecom advised customers that e-mail would be down for 24 hours, on Sunday, while technicians performed the transfer.
But thousands of Xtra users were still unable to access their accounts for a third day yesterday, creating havoc for business customers.
Wellington public relations consultant Leigh Bredenkamp said Telecom's handling of the upgrade was "unacceptable". Mrs Bredenkamp – who previously helped Telecom set up its Xtra news website – said she had been unable to access her e-mails since Sunday and feared her business' professional reputation would be tarnished.
She said she had been told it would be another 24 to 48 hours before e-mail would be available.
Telecom staff had told her to set up a Hotmail or Gmail account to send and receive e-mails in the meantime.
"I run a business – a Hotmail account is deeply unprofessional. It's not even designed for business use. Telecom need to upgrade, I understand that, but they need more reliable solutions to problems than Hotmail," she said.
Telecom head of marketing Nick Brown said Web-mail users had been e-mailed by Xtra before the Sunday upgrade and advised to change their account settings to prevent problems.
But Mrs Bredenkamp said those e-mails had been classified as spam and blocked by Xtra's own spam filters – and she was now considering switching companies.
A Telecom spokeswoman said there had been a "complex technical issue" with the Bubble registration process. Customers affected were those using a Web-based programme to access their messages.
A quarter of Xtra account holders use a Web-mail programme to send and receive messages, but Telecom was unable to say how many were experiencing difficulties.
Telecom chief operating officer consumer Kevin Kenrick said the company apologised for any inconvenience.
The Dominion Post
The company has moved 800,000 Internet mail boxes from its Xtra service to Bubble, a new Yahoo-hosted platform.
Telecom advised customers that e-mail would be down for 24 hours, on Sunday, while technicians performed the transfer.
But thousands of Xtra users were still unable to access their accounts for a third day yesterday, creating havoc for business customers.
Wellington public relations consultant Leigh Bredenkamp said Telecom's handling of the upgrade was "unacceptable". Mrs Bredenkamp – who previously helped Telecom set up its Xtra news website – said she had been unable to access her e-mails since Sunday and feared her business' professional reputation would be tarnished.
She said she had been told it would be another 24 to 48 hours before e-mail would be available.
Telecom staff had told her to set up a Hotmail or Gmail account to send and receive e-mails in the meantime.
"I run a business – a Hotmail account is deeply unprofessional. It's not even designed for business use. Telecom need to upgrade, I understand that, but they need more reliable solutions to problems than Hotmail," she said.
Telecom head of marketing Nick Brown said Web-mail users had been e-mailed by Xtra before the Sunday upgrade and advised to change their account settings to prevent problems.
But Mrs Bredenkamp said those e-mails had been classified as spam and blocked by Xtra's own spam filters – and she was now considering switching companies.
A Telecom spokeswoman said there had been a "complex technical issue" with the Bubble registration process. Customers affected were those using a Web-based programme to access their messages.
A quarter of Xtra account holders use a Web-mail programme to send and receive messages, but Telecom was unable to say how many were experiencing difficulties.
Telecom chief operating officer consumer Kevin Kenrick said the company apologised for any inconvenience.
The Dominion Post