Interesting Software Errors!

In a recent worldwide survey conducted by Pierre Audoin Consultants (PAC) it was stated that almost all executives surveyed to understand testing as an important investment in the software. Nevertheless, the implementation is still not sustainable. The consequences of inadequate quality are visible, but usually it is spotted but then it is already too late. Through effective testing and quality management these software errors can be reduced. Here are the top ten interesting software errors of all time.

10. Hundred of Thousands of Delayed Salary Payments:

At one of the largest banks in Japan witnessed this software error in about 5,600 ATMs for 24 hours. To speed up the system restore, grid had to be taken off at all 38,000 ATMs. Over several days, no online banking was possible. Only after a ten-day delay, the bank was able to pay all transfers with a total of 1.5 billion U.S. dollars (over a billion Euro).

9. Free Money Flowing out from ATM’s:

In the Australian cities of Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane customers could withdraw unlimited money from 40 defective ATM for about five and a half hours. This error occurred due to the surprising windfall disturbance in the database software, which enabled the machine to standby mode: The device was unable to recognize the limits of daily limits.

8. Data Backlog of Smartphone Maker:

A network outage at one of the world’s leading Smartphone maker caused no internet surfing, no access to e-mail account and any instant messaging services. It caused the terminals of millions of customers a data backlog. The most affected regions were Europe, Africa, Middle East and Latin America. Subsequently, the company had to execute several billion emails. The network outage was due to a data center in the UK, where the additional reserve system also collapsed.

7. Excitement of Green Card Winners:

For over 20,000 participants in the Green Card Lottery, were overjoyed to an early receipt of their work permit in the U.S. A programming error resulted in an unfair draw of the green card winners who violated the U.S. law. Later, all results were revised and draw was repeated.

6. Innocent People Behind the Bars: 

This software error led to the declaration of 22 innocent persons as criminals and they were arrested in the Australian state of New South Wales as a result of about 3,600 defects in a computer system and problems with the electronic transmission of information.

5. Data Chaos Transition to Electronic Tax Card:

Through a software-detected error false income tax data was sent up to 600,000 German taxpayers. The software misinterpreted facts like, religious affiliation, marital status, split of tax classes 3 and 5 with each other. The electronic tax card is soon to introduced.

4. Mass Recall of Uncontrollable Cars: 

Worldwide, nearly one million cars had to be recalled by a Japanese automaker. The Cause of error was power windows, which could result in a fire. In addition, 26,000 vehicles rolled through a programming error in the engine management as if by magic independently back and forth when the driver started the engine. Tokyo Stock Exchange the manufacturer’s stock fell by almost five percent.

3. Open Access to Highly Confidential Bank and Customer Data:

After the personal logging on to a newly introduced electronic ticketing system of a German logistics and travel company subsequent users could see all of the data of its predecessors: including the address and phone numbers to the bank. A software error had disclosed the information of the developed system over several years.

Simple and elegant website designs like this which engages a simple, powerful, and a programming language can act as a shield towards massive software errors. An e commerce portal can never afford a failure like this.

2. Disabled Tenth Army at War:

The use of a $ 2.7 billion (two billion Euros) expensive computer system by the U.S. Army was meant to contribute the real-time information for reconnaissance and surveillance, and provide an analysis of the actual situation on the ground. Instead, it hindered the fighting on the front line troops in Afghanistan and Iraq. The system was unable to perform even simple analytical tasks and responded with delayed results. Inaccurate reports were also generated. The search instrument of software was based on cloud computing network. The main error was found of the software being not compatible with the already existing one in the U.S. Army.

1. $240 Million for Punishment and Payments:

$25 million penalty on the U.S. financial regulatory services were imposed by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), an international financial services provider. They had previously covered up an error in the software application of a mutual fund. At the same time, the company had to reimburse the defrauded investors the damage: $ 217 million (160 million Euros).