AUS: Another ATM crash

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Commonwealth crash stems ATM cash flow

By CAROLYN BATT Friday 5 January 2001

A serious failure in the Commonwealth Bank's central computer system caused mayhem for thousands of customers yesterday, leaving them unable to access funds electronically for hours.

The nationwide problem affected the bank's 2600 ATMs and all Eftpos machines, and began towards the end of a busy lunchtime. Internet and telephone banking was also interrupted.

"We had a hardware failure in our computer centre this afternoon, about 1.45pm, and this affected the Commonwealth's networks," said Bryan Fitzgerald, CBA's executive manager of corporate affairs. All systems were operational again by 5.15pm.

Customers also faced problems when trying to use their CBA cards at ATMs operated by other banks. But the CBA-owned Colonial network was unaffected.

Mr FitzGerald said customers were not left entirely without cash, as ATMs were still distributing up to $50 emergency cash. Customers could get up to $50 out of the automatic teller machine, and with the Eftpos and credit card systems, the transactions could still be processed manually, he said.

Transactions could also be processed inside branches, he said.

Louise Petschler, finance policy officer with the Australian Consumers Association, said the association would wait with interest for details of the system failure, and the steps taken to guard against similar occurrences

http://www.theage.com.au/news/2001/01/05/FFX67BWAJHC.html

-- Martin Thompson (mthom1927@aol.com), January 04, 2001

Answers

I put a misleading header on this one. The whole bank computer system failed, not just the ATMs

-- Martin Thompson (mthom1927@aol.com), January 04, 2001.

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