Created: 10/13/2009 6:49:28 AM 
NEW YORK (AP) -- Owners of Sidekick phones haven't lost their friends, but they may have a hard time finding their phone numbers.
That's because a failure of servers used to store their contact information has meant a loss of that information.
Not only is the episode delivering a blow to the reputation of the Sidekick, it is also a reminder of the dangers of trusting a single provider to safeguard information.
The phones are made by a Microsoft unit and sold by T-Mobile USA. They say many Sidekick owners' information is "almost certainly" gone. T-Mobile is offering customers $20 to refund the cost of one month of data usage on the phone.
A Microsoft spokeswoman says engineers are still trying to restore the information at a data center.
It's not clear how many customers have been affected, or how many Sidekicks are in operation, though the figure could approach 1 million, based on T-Mobile's financial statements.
©2009 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, rewritten, or redistributed.
