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UK Government stirs on millennium problem
Excerpt from: pa.press.net
"The [UK] government has finally made its own public statement urging businesses to take action on the year 2000 problem.
In a sudden flurry of activity, the Department of Trade and Industry issued
statements from Technology Minister Barbara Roche telling businesses to get
on with fixes for the problem - the same thing that Taskforce 2000, the
recently abandoned action group, has been doing for months.
The government quoted research published by software company Sage that
revealed that although awareness was high, levels of real action were
depressingly low.
"With only half of businesses having completed a systems audit, there is
clearly a lot of work still to be done," the department said.
"This research shows us that there are still far too many companies that are ill
prepared for the century date change and time is running out," said Mrs Roche.
"The message I want to leave with all businesses today is that companies -
whatever their size - must realize that there is still a considerable amount to be
done and they must not leave it any longer.
"One of the key findings is that awareness of the problem is high, but action to
solve it is low. The Government, in partnership with industry bodies, is
already tackling the problem through the creation of Action 2000, whose
priority is to get businesses to turn awareness into action. The Government is
fully aware of the task that lies ahead and has always taken a leading role in
tackling the century date change problem. I hope to see businesses now
following this lead and taking action."
Some of the key findings of the research are:
- 45% have not yet completed a systems audit to prepare for year 2000
- 74.8% of respondents' customers are not insisting on them being millennium
compliant
- 53.4% of respondents are not insisting on their suppliers being millennium
compliant
- 57% are not planning to allocate budget in 1997/98 to resolving the problem
Mrs Roche went on to say:
"Some of the findings are clearly a cause for concern and businesses should
take note. The amount being done so far, although good in some areas, is
generally not good enough and needs to be improved upon with immediate
effect. It is vital that UK companies do all that is necessary to solve the
century date change problem."
The announcement will ring hollow with Robin Guenier, chief executive of
Taskforce 2000, who was told two weeks ago that his organisation would get
no more funding and would be effectively sidelined by the creating of Action
2000.
Mr Guenier has been spreading the same warnings for a year, and constantly
berated the government (both Conservative and Labour) for lack of support,
both financially and constructively.
The DTI is thought to have found a leader for Action 2000, and should
announce the person's identity next week." |
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