Switch failure downed outdated States IT system
AN INITIAL investigation into the States online system breakdown and outages earlier this month has found that a Cisco switch failure was to blame.
The problem had a significant impact, including the loss of key States websites such as those for the airport, harbour and Beau Sejour, along with the core gov.gg site.
There was also no access to States email.
Deputy David De Lisle raised the issue in the Assembly, posing questions about whether it undermined the States £200m. contract with Agilisys, and what the position was regarding penalties.
He also wanted assurances that it was not going to happen again.
Deputy Jonathan Le Tocq, from Policy & Resources, responded that Agilisys had inherited very outdated networks, and the collapse vindicated the need for the IT company.
‘This outage is a symptom of years of underinvestment and the silo development of our IT, we could not just continue to put sticking plasters on this strategic risk to the operations of vital public services.
‘IT transformation that has already begun will deliver the infrastructure the States needs to meet its ambitions. However, it is unrealistic and, if I may say so, disingenuous to suggest that in the short few months since the contract was signed that all the issues that drove this project would be resolved.’
Deputy Le Tocq outlined that the breakdown was fixed by Agilisys within the day, and there was no data breach or data loss.
He said the chances of that happening under the previous States IT set-up were zero.
