WRK Computer Systems´ Year 2000 Information Page and Compliance Statement This page was posted with the intention of providing basic information on the Y2K problem (aka the Millennium bug), it´s purpose is not to provide a complete plan of action
or a solution. It is simply a set of basic guidelines and information posted with the intention of giving you a starting point in your Y2K compliance efforts. We (meaning WRK Computer Systems, WRK Technologies, Inc and
our staff and contractors) assume no liability with regards to the provision of this information, nor are we liable for any actions or inactions on the part of anyone reading this page.
What is the Year 2000 (Y2K) Problem ?
The Y2K problem stated simply is the failure of computer hardware and software to properly store and/or display dates after December 31st, 1999, remember this not only includes the ability of the system to recognize
January 1, 2000 but also to recognize that 2000 is a leap year as well.. This can manifest itself as improper dates displayed in programs, programs not running correctly or not running at all, improper date based
calculations, corrupted data files, and even systems that will not boot at all.
The Y2K problem is a result of programmers opting to use 2 digit dates instead of 4 digit dates. Several explanations exist for this
occurring; the first and most common explanation is that storage was not nearly as abundant in the early days of computers and using a smaller date field allowed more information to be stored in the limited storage
available, the other explanation is a lack of forethought on the part of programmers resulting in a failure to foresee the problems as of the turn of the century. This is an easy explanation to understand, think about
the typical forms, checks etc you have seen up until very recently. They generally had a field for the date that looked something like `Date:_________, 19___´. This was the general mindset of people for a long time and
people are creatures of habit, so it became a common occurrence to write and enter dates in that format. Will I be affected by the Y2K problem ? To some degree everyone will
be affected, if for no other reason than all of the media hype surrounding it. There are real problems and issues that will need to be addressed by a variety of companies, but it is not the end of the world. What needs
to be done is to address the issues and solve the problems in a calm and rational manner, panic will just create more problems. What do I need to do about the Y2K problem ? If you are a computer user or are responsible for computers within your company or department
you should test or have the system or systems tested for Y2K compliance, this includes not only the hardware and BIOS (Basic Input/Output System - the software that runs your computers hardware and stores & tracks the system date), but also the application programs that are utilized as well. Then you have to determine what needs to be updated or replaced and lay out a plan to complete this project before the end of the year, remember to leave time to test your solutions before you are forced to make the switch as this will turn up issues that may have been overlooked in the original plan. Additionally you should also follow the guidelines listed in the section for non users below.
If you do not use a computer
you should investigate the Y2K readiness of your suppliers and vendors, as you have to rely on them for products and services and if they are not able to provide them you will need to obtain those products and/or services elsewhere. It would be wise to investigate alternate suppliers of business critical services before any problems arise, this is not to say an immediate switch in vendors is necessary, but that having a contigency plan in place would be a good insurance policy.
WRK Computer Systems´ Year 2000 Compliance Statement WRK Computer Systems has performed extensive testing of our hardware and software to determine Year 2000 readiness. All of our business critical computer systems are fully
compliant and do not exhibit any issues relating to storage, calculation and display of dates after December 31st, 1999, these systems also recognize that 2000 is a leap year and properly handle February 29th, 2000.
Several non critical systems, that are scheduled to be replaced by the third quarter of 1999, do exhibit some non fatal cosmetic date related issues, these do not affect our ability to provide products and services to
our customers in a consistant and timely manner. Our business management software is also fully year 2000 compliant and will present no issues pertaining to the Y2K bug. |
