Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Technology Stocks : Discuss Year 2000 Issues -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: C.K. Houston who wrote (8051)	8/17/1999 10:06:00 AM
From: Rarebird	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 9818

LONDON, ENGLAND, 1999 AUG 16 (NB) -- By Steve Gold, Newsbytes. Microsoft [NASDAQ:MSFT] has revealed that up to 25 percent of its staff worldwide may be working over the Christmas and New Year period. Justin Wastnage, a spokesperson for Microsoft UK, told Newsbytes that, in the UK, depending on customer requirements, as many as 1,000 of Microsoft's UK and Ireland staff will be working over the Christmas and New Year break, mainly to cover for the Y2K information technology (IT) issue. "Microsoft is drawing up its plans at the moment and full details of what cover will be provided by the company will be announced in November," he said. Wastnage went on to say that plans are also being drawn up by all Microsoft divisions around the world. "It's still early (as regards the plans) and many members of staff will be working from home, rather than the office, as well as working onsite with customers," he said, adding that the precise plans will depend greatly upon the customer's needs. Headlines in the UK papers appeared today, saying that Microsoft had canceled leave for one in four of its staff, noting that Microsoft employees are sometimes called "Microserfs." Wastnage said that Microsoft was planning to announce its Y2K coverage plans this coming fall, but the story had broken in Sunday Business, a UK national Sunday paper, after Microsoft hosted an interview with a reporter on the paper. "Several topics were discussed, but this is the one that the reporter led on," he said, noting that Microsoft may not have been overly happy with the way in which the Sunday Business presented the story. "There are different ways of presenting the facts," he said, adding that the headline of leave being canceled is only partially correct. "The plan is for the majority of staff working over the New Year to be volunteers, but precise plans are still being drawn up," he said. Microsoft's Web site is at microsoft.co.uk . Reported by Newsbytes.com, newsbytes.com .