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A mid-2016 security incident led to Apple purging its data centers of servers built by Supermicro, including returning recently purchased systems, according to a report by The Information. Malware-infected firmware was reportedly detected in an internal development environment for Apple's App Store, as well as some production servers handling queries through Apple's Siri service.
An Apple spokesperson denied there was a security incident. However, Supermicro's senior vice-president of technology, Tau Leng, told The Information that Apple had ended its relationship with Supermicro because of the compromised systems in the App Store development environment. Leng also confirmed Apple returned equipment that it had recently purchased. An anonymous source was cited as the source of the information regarding infected Siri servers.
[...] A source familiar with the case at Apple told Ars that the compromised firmware affected servers in Apple's design lab, and not active Siri servers. The firmware, according to the source, was downloaded directly from Supermicro's support site—and that firmware is still hosted there.
Source: ArsTechnica
(Score: 3, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Monday February 27 2017, @12:41AM (6 children)
Apple is well known to be a horrible company to sell to. They will tear up contracts at the slightest provocation, don't believe in negotiated settlements, demand special snowflake treatment to the point of having products redesigned for them - oh, unless it's the other way around, then everybody is expected to pucker up and get smoochy with their big, greasy butthole. They make Donald Trump look like a reasonable and friendly counterparty for vendors - it's that bad.
What's different here is that supermicro is being honest about what happened. Apple hates their suppliers even being known - so supermicro are burning a bridge here.
Honestly, I suspect that supermicro's people have found Apple such a monumental, vast pain to deal with that they've figured it's a customer that it's better not to have.
I have direct, personal, first-hand knowledge of Apple's business practices from more than one of my employers over the years. It has reached the point that I actively recommend that my employers steer clear of them, and if Apple for some weird reason comes cap-in-hand, get the contract tied up by the most savage, blood-sucking lawyers they can afford.
(Score: 2, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Monday February 27 2017, @01:58AM
Replace every apple reference in there with walmart and you have described two of the largest companies in the world.
I have been saying this to people for years Apple is not a company to be trusted (my stories go back to the mid 90s). MS is good/'bad' at what they do but they learned at the hands of a true Sith master, Apple. The GUI wasnt the only thing MS copied.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by Snotnose on Monday February 27 2017, @02:09AM (2 children)
I worked at Qualcomm in, I dunno, '05 or '06 when we got a supersekrit assignment to look into what it would take to add some special features to our chips, both hardware and software. We were told explicitly, several times, to not discuss this with anyone not in the room, not even our wives.
Turned out the chip was going to go into the original iPhone. I don't know how or why Qualcomm lost the deal, but for 3 weeks it was a major PITA.
When the dust settled America realized it was saved by a porn star.
(Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Monday February 27 2017, @02:32AM
I worked at qcom too at the same time. It was not that big of a secret ;)
As to why? Jobs played us. He already knew which chips were in. He was using us to negotiate a better price.
(Score: 2) by FatPhil on Monday February 27 2017, @03:27PM
Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people; the smallest discuss themselves
(Score: 2) by Nobuddy on Monday February 27 2017, @04:52PM (1 child)
Seems odd that holding a business partner to the terms of the contract is viewed as malicious and unfair in todays business world. Why have a contract at all if you never intended to hold up your end?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday February 27 2017, @07:47PM
Because you have absolutely no clue if the other party intended to hold up their end in this case, and businesses usually go to great lengths to do so?
Because business conditions change, and companies that want to be in business with one another recognize that?
Because you don't bankrupt your business partner, and you should be smart enough to know when your deal is so razor-thin that will happen?
Because good will in business is a tangible thing and sometimes it's better to keep good will going than take someone's last dollar?
Because malicious and unfair are the norm for today's business contracts, and the world does not have to be that way?
Because one that will do anything, at any cost, to stay at number one will sooner or later get covered in number two?
Because someone has understood the words, "I desire mercy, not sacrifice?"
Because businesses do not hurt. People do?