Incident: Nokia Lumia 900 Software Bug Causes Data Connection Loss

Published Date: 2012-04-10

Postmortem Analysis
Timeline 1. The software failure incident with the Nokia Lumia 900 smartphone occurred around April 2012 [11319].
System The software failure incident in the article involved a software bug in Nokia's Lumia 900 smartphone. The specific system that failed was: 1. Nokia Lumia 900 smartphone [11319]
Responsible Organization 1. Nokia was responsible for causing the software failure incident with the Lumia 900 smartphone due to a software bug [Article 11319].
Impacted Organization 1. Customers who purchased or were considering purchasing the Nokia Lumia 900 smartphone were impacted by the software failure incident [11319].
Software Causes 1. The software bug in the Nokia Lumia 900 smartphone was caused by a memory management issue related to phone software, not to hardware, the network, or the Windows operating system [11319].
Non-software Causes 1. The failure incident was caused by a memory management issue related to phone software, not hardware, the network, or the Windows operating system [11319].
Impacts 1. Nokia had to effectively give away the Lumia 900 smartphone until the software bug was fixed, impacting its bid to turn around its fortunes in the United States [11319]. 2. The software bug caused the Lumia 900 to occasionally lose its data connection, affecting user experience and potentially leading to customer dissatisfaction [11319]. 3. Nokia offered a $100 credit to the AT&T bill for anyone who bought a Lumia 900 phone or would buy one by a certain date, resulting in a costly response to the software glitch [11319]. 4. The software issue caused disruption to what was otherwise a fairly good launch of the Lumia 900, leading to disappointment for a company struggling to revive its brand and regain market share [11319]. 5. Nokia's share price dropped more than 50 percent since it unveiled the switch to Microsoft in February 2011, indicating a negative impact on investor confidence and financial performance [11319].
Preventions 1. Thorough testing and quality assurance processes before the launch of the Lumia 900 smartphone could have potentially identified and resolved the software bug [11319]. 2. Implementing stricter code review practices during the development phase could have helped catch the memory management issue related to the phone software [11319]. 3. Conducting more extensive user acceptance testing to simulate real-world scenarios and usage patterns may have uncovered the data connection loss issue caused by the software bug [11319].
Fixes 1. A software update to fix the problem, which was identified as "a memory management issue" related to phone software, not to hardware, the network, or the Windows operating system, would be available around April 16 [Article 11319]. 2. Nokia is offering anyone who has bought a Lumia 900 phone, or who buys one by April 21, a $100 credit to their AT&T bill as a compensation for the software bug [Article 11319].
References 1. Nokia spokesperson - The articles gather information about the software failure incident from a Nokia spokesperson who confirmed the presence of a software bug in the Lumia 900 smartphone [Article 11319].

Software Taxonomy of Faults

Category Option Rationale
Recurring one_organization (a) The software failure incident having happened again at one_organization: The article mentions that the Nokia Lumia 900 smartphone had a software bug that caused data connection issues. This incident is not the first time Nokia has faced software-related challenges. Nokia had previously ditched its own Symbian system in favor of the Windows operating system, and this was the third Nokia phone to run the Windows OS. The switch to Microsoft's system was part of Nokia's efforts to revive its brand and compete in the smartphone market [11319]. (b) The software failure incident having happened again at multiple_organization: There is no specific mention in the article about similar software failure incidents happening at other organizations or with their products and services.
Phase (Design/Operation) design (a) The software failure incident in the Nokia Lumia 900 smartphone was related to a software bug that caused the device to occasionally lose its data connection. This bug was identified as a "memory management issue" related to the phone software, not the hardware, network, or the Windows operating system [11319]. (b) The software failure incident in the Nokia Lumia 900 smartphone impacted the operation of the device, as users experienced data connection issues due to the software bug. Nokia responded by offering a $100 credit to affected customers' AT&T bills as a resolution to the problem [11319].
Boundary (Internal/External) within_system (a) within_system: The software failure incident with the Nokia Lumia 900 smartphone was due to a software bug within the system. Nokia found a software bug in the Lumia 900 that caused the phone to occasionally lose its data connection. The issue was specifically identified as "a memory management issue related to phone software" and was not attributed to hardware, the network, or the Windows operating system [11319]. The software update to fix this problem was scheduled to be available around April 16, and Nokia offered a $100 credit to customers affected by the bug [11319].
Nature (Human/Non-human) non-human_actions, human_actions (a) The software failure incident in the Nokia Lumia 900 smartphone was due to a software bug, specifically described as "a memory management issue" related to phone software, not to hardware, the network, or the Windows operating system [11319]. (b) The response to the software failure incident involved human actions, as Nokia decided to offer a $100 credit to the AT&T bill for anyone who had bought a Lumia 900 phone or would buy one by a certain date. This response was described as "forthright, aggressive, and undoubtedly costly" by an analyst, indicating a deliberate human action to address the issue [11319].
Dimension (Hardware/Software) software (a) The software failure incident related to hardware: The article mentions that the software bug in Nokia's Lumia 900 smartphone was specifically identified as "a memory management issue related to phone software, not to hardware" [11319]. (b) The software failure incident related to software: The software bug in Nokia's Lumia 900 smartphone was attributed to a memory management issue within the phone software itself, indicating that the failure originated in the software rather than in the hardware or network [11319].
Objective (Malicious/Non-malicious) non-malicious (a) The software failure incident related to the Nokia Lumia 900 smartphone was non-malicious. The incident was caused by a software bug in the phone, specifically identified as a "memory management issue" related to the phone software, not to hardware, the network, or the Windows operating system [Article 11319]. The bug occasionally caused the phone to lose its data connection, impacting user experience. Nokia acknowledged the issue and took steps to address it by offering a software update to fix the problem and providing a $100 credit to affected customers. The response from Nokia was described as forthright, aggressive, and costly, indicating a non-malicious intent to rectify the situation and maintain customer satisfaction.
Intent (Poor/Accidental Decisions) poor_decisions, accidental_decisions The software failure incident related to the Nokia Lumia 900 smartphone can be attributed to both poor decisions and accidental decisions: (a) poor_decisions: The incident can be linked to poor decisions made by Nokia in releasing the Lumia 900 with a software bug that caused data connection issues. Nokia's decision to launch the phone with a known memory management issue led to disruptions and a costly response to rectify the problem [11319]. (b) accidental_decisions: Additionally, the incident can also be associated with accidental decisions or unintended consequences as Nokia faced unexpected challenges with the software bug affecting the phone's performance and connectivity, despite efforts to position the Lumia 900 as a competitive smartphone in the market [11319].
Capability (Incompetence/Accidental) accidental (a) The software failure incident related to the Nokia Lumia 900 smartphone was not due to development incompetence but rather identified as a software bug. Nokia acknowledged that the issue was a "memory management issue" related to phone software, not hardware, the network, or the Windows operating system [11319]. (b) The software failure incident was accidental in nature, as it was described as a software bug that occasionally caused the phone to lose its data connection. Nokia offered a $100 credit to affected customers and stated that a software update to fix the problem would be available around April 16 [11319].
Duration temporary The software failure incident related to the Nokia Lumia 900 smartphone was temporary. The incident was caused by a software bug in the phone, specifically a memory management issue related to the phone software. Nokia acknowledged the issue and announced that a software update to fix the problem would be available around April 16. Additionally, Nokia offered a $100 credit to the AT&T bill for anyone who had bought a Lumia 900 phone or would buy one by April 21, indicating a temporary resolution to compensate for the issue [11319].
Behaviour crash, omission, other (a) crash: The software failure incident in the Nokia Lumia 900 smartphone was related to occasional loss of data connection due to a software bug. This can be categorized as a crash where the system loses its state and fails to perform its intended functions [11319]. (b) omission: The software bug in the Lumia 900 smartphone caused the system to occasionally lose its data connection, resulting in the omission of performing its intended function of maintaining a stable data connection [11319]. (c) timing: The software issue in the Lumia 900 smartphone was not related to timing issues where the system performs its intended functions but at the wrong time. Instead, it was a crash leading to the loss of data connection [11319]. (d) value: The software bug in the Lumia 900 smartphone did not result in the system performing its intended functions incorrectly in terms of the value provided to the user. The issue was more related to a crash causing data connection loss [11319]. (e) byzantine: The software failure incident in the Nokia Lumia 900 smartphone did not exhibit behaviors of a byzantine failure where the system behaves erroneously with inconsistent responses and interactions. The issue was more straightforward, leading to occasional data connection loss [11319]. (f) other: The software failure incident in the Nokia Lumia 900 smartphone can be categorized as a bug related to memory management, specifically described as "a memory management issue" in the phone software. This could be considered as a memory-related issue causing a crash in the system [11319].

IoT System Layer

Layer Option Rationale
Perception None None
Communication None None
Application None None

Other Details

Category Option Rationale
Consequence property, delay The consequence of the software failure incident related to the Nokia Lumia 900 smartphone was primarily financial and reputational: - Property: People's material goods (the Lumia 900 smartphones) were impacted due to the software failure, leading Nokia to offer a $100 credit to affected customers [11319]. - Delay: Customers who had purchased or were planning to buy the Lumia 900 had to wait for the software update to fix the issue, causing a delay in their usage of the device [11319]. - Harm (financial harm): The software failure incident resulted in a costly response from Nokia, with estimates suggesting it could cost the company up to $10 million in likely sales during the affected period [11319]. - Reputational harm: The incident was a big disappointment for Nokia as it was struggling to revive its brand, especially in the U.S. market. The memory issue causing disruption to an otherwise promising launch was seen as the last thing the company needed [11319].
Domain unknown (a) The software failure incident was related to the smartphone industry, specifically affecting Nokia's Lumia 900 smartphone [Article 11319].

Sources

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