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If it feels like déjà vu, you’re not alone. Just days after the AWS outage that took down parts of the internet early last week, airline giant Alaska Airlines had to ground all flights across its network due to a major IT failure. First the cloud, now the skies — it’s been a tough week for uptime. While Alaska Airlines quickly clarified that the issue wasn’t a cyberattack, it still highlights how fragile critical systems can be when even one piece of infrastructure goes down. A failure at the airline’s primary data center cascaded across multiple systems, halting flight operations and disrupting travelers nationwide.

For businesses that depend on enterprise resource planning (ERP) and other major information technology (IT) systems — whether that’s for logistics, finance, or customer service — this incident should feel very familiar. Because the truth is, it doesn’t take a massive airline to experience massive downtime.

So, what can companies learn from this?

1. Don’t rely on “primary” anything. Alaska’s issue started with a single data center. Whether you’re hosting ERP on-premises or in the cloud, redundancy isn’t optional anymore. Active-active data centers or multi-region cloud setups can prevent a single point of failure from turning into a full stop.
2. Test your disaster recovery plan — for real. Most organizations think they’re ready, but few have actually run a live failover test. Simulating a disaster once or twice a year is one of the best ways to uncover hidden dependencies and response gaps before they happen in production.
3. Monitor like your business depends on it (because it does). Real-time monitoring and predictive alerts can detect issues before users do. It’s not just about catching downtime — it’s about catching weak signals that something’s about to fail.
4. Communicate clearly when things go wrong. Even when your systems are down, your communication shouldn’t be. Customers and teams appreciate transparency, and that trust can make all the difference during a crisis.

The takeaway: prepare before you have to react.

Outages like these — whether from AWS, Alaska Airlines, or the next big headline — are reminders that resilience has to be built, not assumed. Every company relying on technology (which is basically every company) should be asking:

• Do we know how long we can afford to be down?
• When was our last DR test?
• Who gets called first when systems go offline?

If those answers aren’t clear, now’s the time to get ahead of it.

At Nogalis, we help organizations strengthen their IT and ERP environments through proactive server maintenance, disaster recovery planning, and 24/7 managed support. Because downtime doesn’t just cost money — it costs trust, momentum, and peace of mind. The next major outage will likely follow AWS and Alaska Airlines and make headlines. Let’s make sure it’s not yours. Contact us today for a free quote.

Earlier this week, Amazon Web Services (AWS) had a rough day — and so did just about everyone who depends on it. A glitch in one of AWS’s internal systems caused major slowdowns and outages across its biggest region, US-EAST-1, taking down parts of the internet for hours.

Apps like Slack, Venmo, Reddit, and Snapchat all went offline, and many businesses quickly realized just how much they rely on the cloud for everyday operations.

How It Hit Businesses

If your company runs ERP systems, data storage, or integrations in AWS, you probably felt the impact firsthand. When AWS stumbles, it’s not just your website that takes a hit — it’s the entire ecosystem behind it.

I spoke with one client who couldn’t process orders for half a day because their ERP database was hosted in the affected region. Others saw payroll, HR, and reporting tools grind to a halt because they couldn’t reach AWS services. Even businesses with on-premise systems ran into trouble when their AWS-based integrations went dark.

The big takeaway? Cloud outages don’t just cause downtime — they can pause your business if you’re not prepared.

The Real Issue: Access, Not Just Security

We talk a lot about data security and integrity, but this outage was a reminder that availability is just as important. You can have the best security setup in the world, but if your data’s unreachable, you’re still stuck.

Companies with multi-region backups or offline copies of key data were able to keep running. Those who didn’t? They were waiting on AWS to come back online before they could even log in.

How to Be Ready Next Time

Here’s what I tell my clients to think about after an outage like this:

1. Spread things out. Don’t rely on one AWS region. If you instance allows it , then consider using multi-region replication or even a second cloud for key systems.
2. Keep backups close. Store critical data somewhere else — or keep encrypted local copies you can access in a pinch.
3. Have a plan. Make sure your team knows what to do (and who to call) if the cloud goes dark. Test it once or twice a year.
4. Monitor independently. Use external monitoring tools so you know what’s happening even if AWS’s own systems are struggling.
5. Know your connections. Map out which apps and vendors rely on AWS. It’s often more than you think.

The Bottom Line

This AWS outage wasn’t the end of the world — but it was a good wake-up call. The cloud is amazing, but it’s not bulletproof. Resilience doesn’t happen by accident; it’s something you build intentionally.

If your business runs on AWS or relies on cloud-based ERP systems, take this as a sign to review your setup. A few smart tweaks today can save you a whole lot of downtime (and stress) later.

Need a hand?

This is exactly the kind of thing Nogalis helps clients with. Through our Consulting and Managed Services, we help businesses strengthen their IT infrastructure, handle server maintenance, and keep you online with around-the-clock support.

If you’d like to talk about how to make your systems a bit more resilient — and a lot more reliable — let’s chat.