back to article 'Backing out of a failed update really ought to be a trivial matter...'

This was the week when there was an almighty tech disaster at RBS and Natwest that froze millions out of their bank accounts. Stories abounded of houses lost because sales hadn't gone through, people stuck in prison because their bail hadn't been paid and legions of folks just plain old p***ed off because they couldn't put their …

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  1. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Still churning out the nonsense?

    "Backing out of a failed update to CA-7 really ought to have been a trivial matter for experienced operations and systems programming staff, especially if they knew that an update had been made. That this was not the case tends to imply that the criticisms of the policy to "off-shore" also hold some water"

    So, anonymous ex-employee guessing and jumping to vague conclusions? Solid reporting there. Ops staff at UK banks are usually in the UK, regardless of how much outsourcing has been committed to, and implementations/backouts are run from onshore.

    This smacks of a cataclysmic failing to test a backout plan. If it makes you feel any better, UK banks have to declare to the FSA what roles have been outsourced or offshored - there won't be any place to hide that.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Still churning out the nonsense?

      They're only anonymous to you, El Reg reporters know who they are.

      Did anyone ever tell you not to believe everything you read? ex-employees indeed.

    2. Anonymous Coward
      WTF?

      Re: "staff at UK banks are usually"

      So, you'd be guessing and jumping to vague conclusions there, yes?

      "UK banks have to declare to the FSA ..."

      And that really scares them, of course

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: "staff at UK banks are usually"

        @Thad

        "So, you'd be guessing and jumping to vague conclusions there, yes?"

        Nope, I've worked at 3 of them and still have colleagues working there. I've also submitted info to the FSA in terms of what is outsourced. Not saying banks are scared of the FSA, I'm saying that disclosure exists and that the FSA would easily be able to confirm where Ops for RBS is run.

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Dangerous assumption..

          .. that the FSA is actually effective. That's the same setup that didn't identify overexposure until they all needed a bailout to keep the bonus schemes going, right?

  2. Jonathan White
    FAIL

    'This smacks of a cataclysmic failing to test a backout plan. If it makes you feel any better, UK banks have to declare to the FSA what roles have been outsourced or offshored - there won't be any place to hide that.'

    And of course UK banks are always entirely above board and never do anything underhand in the hope of making a quick buck and not getting caught. Oh no, I'm sure that would never happen.

  3. Stuart 22
    FAIL

    **ck Up!

    Is it just me or has El Reg failed to back out a story on Tablets from the back end of this story?

    1. Will Godfrey Silver badge
      Unhappy

      Re: **ck Up!

      Indeed. Had me backing out in considerable confusion.

  4. PeterM42
    FAIL

    Ah outsourcing - that management cure-all

    The management of this particular bank deserve everything thrown at them.

    I am sick of companies outsourcing to save money, then moaning that the Uk does not have the expertise to run their IT.

    OF COURSE THE IT EXPERTISE IS DISAPPEARING - there is just so much IT staff can put up with before they go abroad or and start stacking shelves or bricklaying for a living.

    Make outsourcing illegal and see UK IT expertise increasing again.

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