Y2K status info from EDS
By Erich Luening
Staff, CNET News.com
September 17, 1998, 3:00 p.m. PT
In an effort to spread the latest word on computer system compliance, or the lack thereof, EDS today unveiled a huge database of information regarding the Y2K status of various hardware and software components.
Praised by the White House as a "powerful compliment" to the "Good Samaritan" legislation, now in Congress, EDS's Vendor 2000 is a Web-based database that details compliance information for more than 125,000 items, representing more than 3,000 vendors. The data will be updated daily, the company said.
"EDS is to be commended for taking this step to share information on the Year 2000 compliance of products with businesses and consumers around the world," said John Koskinen, the chairman of the President's Council on Year 2000 Conversion.
Noting that the information provided is limited to that made available by vendors, Koskinen said, "I believe prompt passage of the Year 2000 information sharing legislation currently pending before Congress will encourage others to share information about their own experiences in addressing the problem as well as to follow EDS's lead in republishing information."
Expecting the public Web site to be trafficked frequently, the site will be updated and maintained by the CIO services of EDS, the company said. EDS built and has maintained the Web-based data over the past four years to assist internal corporate and customer research of Y2K issues.
Visitors to the site are able to search for compliance by product and by vendor, by clicking on "product search," which opens the database automatically. A link is provided directly to vendor home pages for further inquiry.
"EDS has been willing to take this first step, but other organizations that could play a similar role in republication or in sharing information about their own experiences have been hesitant to do so for fear of legal action. We must do all we can to create an environment where they feel comfortable in sharing Year 2000 information," Koskinen said.
Meanwhile, in related news, the Senate Committee on the Year 2000 Technology Problem held hearings today on the potential threat of the millennium bug on the solvency of America's pension plans and mutual funds, and to review internal and external activities of fund managers to protect the investments of millions of Americans as they prepare for Y2K.
Officials from the Department of Labor, and the Securities Exchange Commission, as well as executives from the private sector were scheduled speak before the committee
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