FYI . . .
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: G 99-26
March 22, 1999
Contact: Jan Kosko 'NEW KIT HELPS SMALL
(301) 975-2767 BUSINESSES GET A JUMP
janice.kosko@nist.gov ON Y2K BUG', SAYS
COMMERCE SECRETARY DALEY
With everything from a self-assessment checklist to upgraded
software, a new "Y2K Jumpstart Kit" developed under a Commerce
Department program now is available to help small businesses
better deal with the year 2000 computer problem, Commerce
Secretary William M. Daley announced today.
"For those businesses who have not yet paid attention to the year
2000 computer problem, it is not too late," said Daley. "The Y2K
Jumpstart Kit is readily available, easy to use and contains the
basics that a small business needs to start addressing this
critical problem," he said.
The main component of the kit is software known as Conversion
2000: Y2K Self- Help Tool. Developed last year by the
Manufacturing Extension Partnership, a program of the Commerce
Department's National Institute of Standards and Technology, the
software has been upgraded and now is available in both Microsoft
Access and Excel versions.
While the software will not solve a year 2000 computer problem,
it can help small manufacturers and other small businesses:
* conduct an inventory of equipment, including hardware,
software and embedded systems;
* identify core business systems and rate their importance to
the survival of the business;
* develop contingency plans; and
* plan and manage remediation projects.
The Y2K Jumpstart Kit also includes a quick start guide, a
detailed user's guide for the software, and a self-assessment
checklist to help a company determine whether its or its
suppliers' computer systems and equipment may have Y2K problems.
The Y2K Jumpstart Kit can be downloaded for free from the MEP web
site at y2khelp.nist.gov. The kit also is available from MEP
centers (1-800-MEP-4MFG, 637-4634), Small Business Administration
Offices or U.S. Department of Agriculture Cooperative Extension
offices around the country.
NIST recently opened the Y2K Help Center for Small Business to
provide technical support to users of Conversion 2000: Y2K
Self-Help Tool. Open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. (Eastern Time) Monday
through Friday, the center can be contacted at 1-800- Y2K-7557
(925-7557) or at y2khelp@nist.gov. or by visiting the help
center's web site, y2khelp.nist.gov.
NIST MEP centers around the country also are offering a variety
of Y2K workshops to help small manufacturers determine if they
have a Y2K problem and develop remediation and contingency plans.
The year 2000 date problem, often called "Y2K" or the "millennium
bug," refers to the failure of a computer program or system
because the "00" year designation is misinterpreted or mistaken
for "1900." The Stamford, Conn.-based GartnerGroup, a leading
authority on information technology issues; the National
Federation of Independent Business; and other organizations have
reported that many small businesses have not yet taken steps to
address year 2000 problems. Many that are addressing problems
with their computer systems may be overlooking potential problems
embedded in other systems such as machine controllers and
building control systems.
NIST's MEP is a nationwide network of manufacturing extension
centers providing a wide array of business and technical
assistance to smaller manufacturers in all 50 states, the
District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. Through MEP, manufacturers
have access to more than 2,000 manufacturing and business
advisers whose job is to help firms make changes that lead to
greater productivity, increased profits and enhanced global
competitiveness.
NIST, an agency of the Commerce Department's Technology
Administration, promotes economic growth by working with industry
to develop and apply technology, measurements and standards
through four partnerships: the Measurement and Standards
Laboratories, the Manufacturing Extension Partnership, the
Advanced Technology Program, and the Baldrige National Quality
Program.
-30-
Small Business Y2K Action Week, March 29 - April 2
Sponsored by the President's Council on Year 2000 Conversion,
U.S. Small Business Administration, U.S. Department of
Agriculture, and U.S. Department of Commerce. Visit
www.sba.gov/y2k or call (800-U-ASK-SBA, 800-827-5722) for
information on Action Week events.
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