What's Inside

On July 19, the world experienced what is now being called the biggest IT failure in history. A bad update from CrowdStrike, a cybersecurity company, caused widespread crashes of Microsoft Windows systems, affecting about 8.5 million devices. Users across the globe opened their computers to the “blue screen of death,” and many industries, including airlines and banking, were thrown into crisis. Leaders scrambled to minimize the impact and communicate effectively amidst uncertainty.

For an IT provider, an incident like this can either be a disaster or an opportunity to show their true value as a partner. The best response prioritizes clear communication, following a pre-established plan, and remaining flexible and creative. Overnight and in the early morning, from home, the office, and bank branches, the Smiley team demonstrated its commitment to its partners by effectively managing this crisis.