Microsoft offers credit note for BPOS outage

25 per cent off monthly invoices for all affected customers

Microsoft has offered its BPOS (Business Productivity Online Services Standard Suite) online desktop application suite customers vouchers against future invoices after lightning during storms in Ireland caused an outage, resulting in seven hours of service downtime at the weekend.

"Any affected customers will receive a credit note advising them that they will get a 25 per cent credit on their future monthly invoices - this will be sent out to them via email," a Microsoft spokesperson told Computing.

Although BPOS customers are covered by a service-level agreement, it does not apply when the service is hit by availability issues arising from factors outside of its control, such as an "act of God", as is the case in this instance.

This outage was caused when a bolt of lightning struck a transformer close to the Dublin-based datacentre powering BPOS. It caused an explosion that resulted in a total power wipeout.