Following entry is a record in the “Catalogue of Catastrophe” - a list of failed and troubled projects from around the world.
Microsoft - USA
Project type : Mobile phone (Kin)
Date : Jun 2010 Cost :Unconfirmed reports of $1B USD
Synopsis :
Microsoft's "Kin" phones (Kin one and Kin two) are withdrawn from the market after just two months. The phones were designed for the younger market and those who are heavy users of social networking sites. Despite the the price being cut in half...
Read More
Failed Project
Department of Primary Industries – Australia
Following entry is a record in the “Catalogue of Catastrophe” - a list of failed and troubled projects from around the world.
Dept. of Primary Industries - Governement of Victoria - Australia
Project type : Smart meters
Date : Jan 2010 Cost :$2.25B AUD
Synopsis :
Costs to deploy smart electrical meters to all households and small businesses in Victoria, Australia balloon from $800M to $2.25B. A review by the Auditor-General questioned whether the project could now deliver any value...
Read More
Sydney Water
Following entry is a record in the “Catalogue of Catastrophe” - a list of failed and troubled projects from around the world.
Sydney Water- Australia
Project type : Customer Management System
Date : Dec 2009 Cost : $70M AUD
Synopsis :
Project to modernize and consolidate Sydney Water's Customer Management Systems runs into trouble. Project is delayed by 18 months and exceeds its original budget by more than 100%. Overruns and delays mean that the project's return on investment is ...
Read More
MI5 – MI6
Following entry is a record in the “Catalogue of Catastrophe” - a list of failed and troubled projects from around the world.
MI5 - MI6 - UK
Project type : Intelligence sharing system
Project name : Scope
Date : Mar 2009 Cost : reported to be tens of millions of pounds
Synopsis :
System designed to share intelligence between separate groups in the UK intelligence gathering community is cancelled due to "technical concerns". The Cabinet Secretary reported "… we know that the way t...
Read More
West Jet – Canada
Following entry is a record in the “Catalogue of Catastrophe” - a list of failed and troubled projects from around the world.
West Jet - Canada
Project type : New passenger Reservations System
Date : Jan 2007 Cost : $34M USD
Updated: 2 Dec 2009
Synopsis :
Efforts to implement a new customized reservations system cancelled amid delays and quality concerns.
Update 2 Dec 2009 - Following the cancellation of the original project in 2007, Westjet moved their reservations systems to t...
Read More
Canadian Payments Association
Following entry is a record in the “Catalogue of Catastrophe” - a list of failed and troubled projects from around the world.
Canadian Payments Association – Canada
Project : Truncation and Electronic Cheque Presentment (TECP)|
Date : Jan 2009
Cost : $undisclosed, but web search indicates project to have been a $300M initiative
Synopsis :
The TCEP system was a system designed to simplify the clearing of checks by scanning and transmitting check data between banks rather than transf...
Read More
London Stock Exchange – TradElect
Following entry is a record in the “Catalogue of Catastrophe” - a list of failed and troubled projects from around the world.
London Stock Exchange – UK
Project : TradElect
Date : Sep 2009 Cost :$68M
Synopsis :
After four years of development, but just two years of use the London Stock Exchange's flagship trading platform (TradElect) is to be decommissioned and replaced. Lending credence to allegations that recent outages at the exchange were caused by the TradElect, the announcemen...
Read More
Marine One
The following entry is a record in the “Catalogue of Catastrophe” - a list of failed and troubled projects from around the world.
US Navy
Project name : Marine One
Date : Jun 2009 Cost :$13B
Synopsis :
To allow for rapid and safe transport of the President and other VIP's, the US Government maintains a fleet of VIP transport helicopters. The current fleet of Sea King and Blackhawk helicopters was first deployed in the 1970's. Following the 9/11 attacks, the US Government decided tha...
Read More
Air Canada
Following entry is a record in the “Catalogue of Catastrophe” - a list of failed and troubled projects from around the world.
Air Canada
Date : Aug 2009 Cost :$67M
Synopsis :
Following more than 3 years of development effort, Air Canada suspends its efforts to implement a next-generation air reservation and departure control system. Citing capital cost issues the airline announces a $67M write down related to the development. Originally planned to start deployment in 2007, the implem...
Read More
Foundation for Student life (Oslo) – Laundry system
Following entry is a record in the “Catalogue of Catastrophe” - a list of failed and troubled projects from around the world.
The foundation for student life (Oslo) – Norway
Date : May 2009 Cost :$14M + some dirty laundry
Synopsis :
As part of a move to SAP the Oslo based Foundation for Student Life elected to tie the laundry facilities in the student village into their accounting systems. Integrating the laundry machines into the accounting systems meant that students had to pay fo...
Read More