Server problem leaves Virtual Spectator customers frustrated

By PETER GRIFFIN

Online coverage of the maiden races in the Louis Vuitton Cup was marred yesterday when subscribers of Virtual Spectator's web service logged-on only to encounter frozen screens and error messages.

Thousands of paying subscribers accessed the service yesterday expecting to see graphical images of the racing in real time. A technical glitch meant most of the racing action was unviewable via the web as history repeated itself for Virtual Spectator.

The Auckland-based company's debut during the last America's Cup was also upset by technical problems, which had subscribers seeing red.

Virtual Spectator is the only company offering online 3-D tracking of the racing boats in real time with backing from big name sponsors Yahoo!, SAP, Louis Vuitton and UBS Financial Services.

Virtual Spectator chief executive Greg Young said a fault with a server in the United States was behind the problems.

"During the last America's Cup we had trouble with the data [coming from the boats] but that's not the problem this time," he said.

Virtual Spectator had partnered with web server specialist Akamai to ensure users worldwide could access the service quickly. The widespread network employed by Akamai in theory means if one web server malfunctions, another can quickly take its place with no interruption to service.

But it was a third-party provider that had let Virtual Spectator down. Young would not name the US-based party.

Thousands of subscribers have paid US$24.95 to subscribe to Virtual Spectator's online coverage of the Louis Vuitton Cup and America's Cup that will potentially allow them access to 120 races over the next five months. The company hopes to attract 100,000 subscribers and yesterday kicked-off a marketing campaign that will have a strong web component.

Young last night e-mailed Virtual Spectator's subscribers to apologise for the service's false-start after the company's help desk and wesite were bombarded with complaints from frustrated users attempting to log on from afar for their first taste of cup racing.

"It's really embarrassing for us that this happened because it couldn't have happened at a worse time," he said.

Virtual Spectator technicians were last night working "flat tack" to resolve the problem. Young expected today's online racing coverage to run smoothly.


nzherald.co.nz/americascup

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