Incident: SiriusXM iPhone App Update Restricts Rewind Feature on Popular Stations

Published Date: 2012-04-19

Postmortem Analysis
Timeline 1. The software failure incident with the SiriusXM mobile app occurred with the 2.0.1 update on April 16, as reported in Article 11535.
System 1. SiriusXM mobile app version 2.0.1 [11535] 2. Rewind capability feature on popular news and entertainment stations such as ESPN, Howard100, and MSNBC [11535]
Responsible Organization 1. The entity responsible for causing the software failure incident in the SiriusXM mobile app update was the development team or company behind the app, as they released the 2.0.1 update that introduced new bugs and issues [11535].
Impacted Organization 1. SiriusXM mobile subscribers [Article 11535] 2. Listeners of popular news and entertainment stations like ESPN, Howard100, and MSNBC [Article 11535] 3. Commenters on AppComments.com [Article 11535]
Software Causes 1. The 2.0.1 update of the SiriusXM iPhone app introduced new bugs and possibly eliminated some old features, such as the rewind capability on certain popular news and entertainment stations [11535]. 2. Users reported network errors preventing them from connecting to the service after the update, indicating a potential software glitch [11535]. 3. The rewind feature was either broken or disabled on favorite channels of users, suggesting a software malfunction [11535]. 4. Specific stations like CNBC, CNN, MSNBC, and others no longer permitted the five-hour rewind feature, indicating a software limitation or defect [11535]. 5. The failure incident could be attributed to a glitch in the app or a new feature limitation, as the app description still advertised the five-hour rewind on all stations despite user reports of its non-functionality [11535].
Non-software Causes 1. Lack of clear communication from SiriusXM regarding the changes made in the 2.0.1 update, leading to confusion among users [11535]. 2. Failure to respond to inquiries about the changes from users, indicating a lack of customer support or communication strategy [11535].
Impacts 1. The software failure incident resulted in the restriction or elimination of the rewind feature on popular news and entertainment stations like ESPN, Howard100, and MSNBC, affecting the user experience for subscribers [11535]. 2. Users reported network errors that prevented them from connecting to the service, indicating a disruption in the functionality of the app [11535]. 3. Subscribers who paid an additional fee for the rewind capability on specific channels, such as Howard Stern's channel, were unable to utilize this feature, potentially leading to dissatisfaction and loss of value for these users [11535].
Preventions 1. Thorough testing before releasing the update could have potentially prevented the software failure incident by identifying and addressing the introduced bugs and feature limitations [11535]. 2. Implementing a more robust quality assurance process that includes regression testing to ensure that existing features like the rewind capability are not inadvertently affected by new updates [11535]. 3. Promptly responding to user feedback and reports of issues to address any emerging problems before they escalate and impact a larger number of subscribers [11535].
Fixes 1. Releasing a new update to the iPhone app that addresses the introduced bugs and restores the functionality of the rewind feature on all stations [11535].
References 1. App Store reviews and comments [11535] 2. CNET reader who alerted the writer [11535] 3. AppComments.com commenters [11535]

Software Taxonomy of Faults

Category Option Rationale
Recurring one_organization (a) The software failure incident related to SiriusXM's mobile app update causing bugs and issues with the rewind feature has happened again within the same organization. The article mentions that last December, SiriusXM introduced a rewind capability with the 2.0 mobile app release, allowing listeners to replay content aired up to five hours earlier. However, the 2.0.1 update introduced new bugs and restrictions on popular news and entertainment stations, affecting the rewind feature on channels like ESPN, Howard100, and MSNBC [11535]. This indicates a recurrence of software issues within the same organization.
Phase (Design/Operation) design (a) The software failure incident in the article is related to the design phase. The failure occurred due to the 2.0.1 update of the SiriusXM iPhone app, which was supposed to include faster channel changes and bug fixes but ended up introducing new bugs and possibly eliminating some old features. Specifically, the update restricted the rewind capability on popular news and entertainment stations, causing network errors and preventing users from connecting to the service. Users reported that the rewind feature was either broken or disabled on some favorite channels, indicating a failure introduced during the development phase [11535]. (b) The software failure incident is not directly related to the operation phase or misuse of the system. The issues reported in the article stem from the update itself and the changes made to the app's functionality, rather than any misuse by the users. Users were experiencing network errors and feature limitations after updating to version 2.0.1, indicating a failure in the design and development of the software rather than in its operation [11535].
Boundary (Internal/External) within_system (a) within_system: The software failure incident described in the article is related to issues within the system itself. The update to the SiriusXM mobile app (version 2.0.1) introduced new bugs and potentially eliminated some old features like the rewind capability on certain popular news and entertainment stations. Users reported network errors preventing them from connecting to the service, and the rewind feature was either broken or disabled on specific channels. The app description on the iTunes App Store still advertised the five-hour rewind feature on all stations, indicating that the issues were internal to the app's update [Article 11535].
Nature (Human/Non-human) non-human_actions (a) The software failure incident in the SiriusXM mobile app update seems to be related to non-human actions. The update to version 2.0.1 introduced new bugs and potentially eliminated some features like the rewind capability on certain popular news and entertainment stations without any direct human intervention [11535]. Users reported network errors and issues with the rewind feature on specific channels, indicating that these problems were not intentionally caused by human actions but rather resulted from unintended consequences of the software update.
Dimension (Hardware/Software) software (a) The software failure incident in the article is related to a glitch or bug in the SiriusXM mobile app update (2.0.1) that caused issues with the rewind feature on certain channels. This issue led to the restriction or disabling of the rewind capability on popular news and entertainment stations like ESPN, Howard100, and MSNBC [11535]. (b) The software failure incident is primarily attributed to a glitch or bug in the software update (2.0.1) of the SiriusXM mobile app. Users reported network errors, connectivity issues, and the malfunctioning or removal of the rewind feature on specific channels after updating to the latest version of the app. This indicates that the failure originated in the software itself rather than being caused by hardware issues [11535].
Objective (Malicious/Non-malicious) non-malicious (a) The software failure incident described in the article does not indicate any malicious intent. It appears to be a non-malicious failure caused by the 2.0.1 update of the SiriusXM iPhone app, which introduced new bugs and potentially eliminated some features like the rewind capability on certain popular stations [11535]. The failure seems to be a result of unintended consequences of the update rather than any deliberate attempt to harm the system.
Intent (Poor/Accidental Decisions) poor_decisions, accidental_decisions From the provided article [11535], the software failure incident related to the SiriusXM mobile app update to version 2.0.1 seems to involve both poor decisions and accidental decisions: 1. Poor Decisions: - The update to version 2.0.1 was advertised to include faster channel changes and bug fixes but introduced new bugs and potentially eliminated some old features, indicating a poor decision in the update process. - The restriction of the rewind feature on popular news and entertainment stations like ESPN, Howard100, and MSNBC after the update could be seen as a poor decision that affected user experience and functionality. 2. Accidental Decisions: - The network errors preventing users from connecting to the service and the malfunctioning or disabled rewind feature on various channels could be considered accidental decisions or unintended consequences of the update rather than deliberate actions. - The lack of clarity on whether the changes were intentional limitations or glitches suggests that some aspects of the software failure incident may have been accidental rather than deliberate. Overall, the incident appears to involve a mix of poor decisions in the update process and accidental consequences that impacted the functionality and user experience of the SiriusXM mobile app.
Capability (Incompetence/Accidental) development_incompetence, accidental (a) The software failure incident seems to be related to development incompetence as the 2.0.1 update of the SiriusXM iPhone app introduced new bugs and eliminated some old features, such as the rewind capability on popular news and entertainment stations like ESPN, Howard100, and MSNBC [11535]. (b) The software failure incident could also be considered accidental as it is not clear whether the issues with the rewind feature on various channels were intentional limitations or unintended glitches in the app. The app description on the iTunes App Store still advertised the five-hour rewind feature on all stations, indicating a possible accidental introduction of limitations or bugs [11535].
Duration temporary From the provided article [11535], it is evident that the software failure incident related to the rewind capability being restricted on several popular news and entertainment stations, such as ESPN, Howard100, and MSNBC, is more likely a temporary failure. This is indicated by the fact that the issue arose specifically after the 2.0.1 update of the SiriusXM mobile app, suggesting that the problem was introduced by certain circumstances (the update) rather than being a permanent issue inherent in the software. Additionally, user reviews and comments on the App Store and AppComments.com indicate that the problem is recent and not a longstanding issue, further supporting the notion of a temporary software failure incident.
Behaviour omission, other (a) crash: The software failure incident described in the article is not related to a crash where the system loses state and does not perform any of its intended functions. Instead, the issue seems to be related to the omission of certain functions that were previously available, such as the rewind capability on specific channels [11535]. (b) omission: The software failure incident is primarily characterized by the omission of certain functions that were previously available to users. Specifically, the 2.0.1 update of the SiriusXM mobile app restricted the rewind feature on popular news and entertainment stations, leading to complaints from users about the feature being broken or disabled on some channels [11535]. (c) timing: The software failure incident is not related to timing issues where the system performs its intended functions but does so too late or too early. The focus of the incident is on the omission of features rather than timing-related failures [11535]. (d) value: The software failure incident does not involve the system performing its intended functions incorrectly, which would fall under the value category. Instead, the issue is related to the omission of certain features, such as the rewind capability on specific channels, causing dissatisfaction among users [11535]. (e) byzantine: The software failure incident is not characterized by the system behaving erroneously with inconsistent responses and interactions, which would align with a byzantine failure. The primary concern in this incident is the omission of features and the introduction of new bugs, rather than erratic behavior or inconsistent responses [11535]. (f) other: The behavior of the software failure incident can be categorized as an omission of critical features that were previously available to users. Users experienced issues with the rewind capability on various channels after the 2.0.1 update of the SiriusXM mobile app, indicating a failure to perform its intended functions as expected [11535].

IoT System Layer

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

Other Details

Category Option Rationale
Consequence theoretical_consequence The consequence of the software failure incident described in the articles is mainly related to the potential loss of functionality and user experience for subscribers of the SiriusXM mobile app. Users were impacted by the inability to access certain features such as the rewind capability on specific channels like ESPN, Howard Stern's channel, and other news and entertainment stations. This limitation could lead to dissatisfaction among subscribers who valued these features and may result in a loss of mobile subscribers for SiriusXM if the issue is not resolved promptly. The articles do not mention any direct physical harm, death, impact on basic needs, property loss, or significant delays caused by this software failure incident. The potential consequences discussed include the risk of losing subscribers who pay extra for specific functionalities like the rewind feature [11535].
Domain information, entertainment [a] The software failure incident reported in Article 11535 is related to the entertainment industry. The incident involves the SiriusXM mobile app, which is used by subscribers to listen to various entertainment channels like ESPN, Howard Stern, and music stations. The failure specifically impacted features such as the rewind capability on popular news and entertainment stations, affecting the user experience for subscribers who rely on these channels for entertainment purposes.

Sources

Back to List