Bluetail's Web Prioritizer, for example, promises 'VIP treatment' for key customers and a range of lesser service levels for others. The Halifax was understandably reluctant to detail the precise nature of its problems. It is easy to follow Clapham omnibus wisdom and let the blame alight at Microsoft's door. But it may not be so simple. Only bad workmen blame their software.
Good practice is to build toward clearly defined, realistic goals.
As Sessions notes, big-ticket Unix boxes and mainframes may look highly scalable on paper but may not be too helpful in reality.