Computer crash was GSIS’ fault—contractor

A technology contractor threatened with a lawsuit by the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) for the malfunctioning of its computer database has tossed the blame back to the government pension fund.

Questronix Corp., which supplied the GSIS database software package, said the pension fund managers themselves caused their computers to crash because of poor database management and lack of standard backup measures.

Questronix said that the GSIS used the system in an “unusual” way that led to a crash twice.

Last week, GSIS officials sent Questronix a demand letter, saying the crashes caused the agency “incalculable damage” and resulted in a backlog of applications for loans, including 20,000 filings for claims mostly by newly retired members.

In a letter to the GSIS dated May 28, Questronix countered that if the pension fund had invested in disaster recovery and implemented proper backup-and-restore procedures, its members would not have been left hanging by the crash.

Questronix is the lead systems integrator for the GSIS database that brought together sub-systems from German software application vendor SAP-AG, which included software developed and licensed by IBM Corp.

GSIS claimed it was supplied with “defective software” and has threatened a series of suits against IBM, SAP-AG and Questronix.

In a statement to the Inquirer, IBM Philippines had countered that GSIS did not engage IBM in the selection, customization and implementation of its system.

IBM said its DB2 was packaged with an application that was part of a global OEM (original equipment manufacturer) arrangement between SAP and IBM. Ronnel W. Domingo - Philippine Daily Inquirer