Craig: <The story about the bank vault is not true.>
Are you talking about the problem OR the fix? Sure sounds like a BIG problem to me. I only report what I read. I viewed, and have, the Federal Reserve Bank Y2K Executive Awareness video. The visual with dominoes falling down was not reassuring! Maybe someone who's actually fixed embedded chips in a bank vault door can tell us how easy it is to fix?
Here's some more bank vault reading:
The Small Business Advisor
I recently called my bank and asked if I should be concerned about the Y2K problem. I was told they are "working on the problem" and they "hope" to be ready by 12/31/99. I asked if my money was safe and was told to call back in a few months to check how they were doing! They admitted that during their work on this problem, they found that their vault would not have opened after 12/31/99.
isquare.com
TexasNews.com
But what about elevators, PBX phone systems or bank vault doors with computer chips that base some of their activities on dates? Barton said at least one Texas bank found that it's vault door worked not only on a timing system, but a date-timing system. It just might not open on 1-1-00.
texnews.com
Santa Barbara Business Digest: A Banking Nightmare
At Santa Barbara Bank & Trust, which serves Ventura and Santa Barbara counties, the problem first surfaced seven years ago. Says Al Todd, vice president and systems manager, "When we tried to issue 10-year certificates of deposit in 1990, we had no way to key in the year 2000. We'd wind up with a CD that ended 90 years ago."
The bank's concerns include 500 PCs in its 15 offices, security systems, date-driven time locks, cardkey access, even heating and ventilation systems. Plus, of course, all deposit operations are also at risk.
"Will our vaults open on Jan. 1, 2000?" questions Abts. "It's an enormous undertaking. I know of one bank whose systems vendor cannot support the needed changes. They'll have to find a new vendor - and change all their systems."
bdigest.com
The Year 2000 Strategy Group: Dept of Computer Science University of Durham, U.K.
The IT industry could be in for a major bashing in January 2000. This problem is not restricted to commercial systems - it is known to affect large amounts of military systems, safety critical control systems systems and so on. In some cases, the two digit date is hard-wired in.
{There are already many anecdotes. For example, the bank whose secure vault can only be opened at times determined by in-built software, which is designed not to be easily changed/replaced! Question: why will the vault remain locked from 2000 to 2080?).
This seems to be one of very few software issues that has attracted the personal attention and interest of the deputy Prime Minister and the Minister for Science & Technology. And one which has been the subject of briefing meetings for senior civil servants. (all this "allegedly" of course).
year2000.co.uk
It's the End of the World As We Know It - Will your software blow up in the year 2000? Or even sooner? By: Mike Elgan, Editor CPM Net Windows Magazine
BANK VAULT PROBLEM: It starts on a Saturday. Some software is |
