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


To: C.K. Houston who wrote (1006)2/1/1998 1:32:00 AM
From: C.K. Houston  Respond to of 9818
 
ABC News picking up on Y2K Embedded Systems!
================================================================
Check out the Y2K Embedded System Thread
Subject 18990

Another interesting post ...
Safety systems face millennium shutdown

There is a 50%-80% chance that all sophisticated, safety-related control systems will fail in the year 2000, damning research from the Health and Safety Executive has revealed. The report, Safety and the year 2000, found that even the most simple safety systems have a 5% chance of failing because of the millennium.

Systems most at risk include those which control the sensors that detect fire or gas leaks in big production plants. Many engineering and manufacturing companies depend on these systems, and whole processes may be at risk, the report warned.



To: C.K. Houston who wrote (1006)2/2/1998 7:36:00 PM
From: C.K. Houston  Respond to of 9818
 
UPCOMING WASHINGTON HEARINGS:
Message 3321035



To: C.K. Houston who wrote (1006)2/4/1998 12:16:00 PM
From: C.K. Houston  Read Replies (1) | Respond to of 9818
 
JANUARY 2000: HOW SOON AIR TRAVEL COULD RETURN TO NORMAL?
================================================================

A few YEARS to fix, not months!! Airlines and FAA having MAJOR problems. This is where I've been focusing my research lately.

WASHINGTON - The Federal Aviation Administration is so far behind in its efforts to fix the Year 2000 computer glitch that half the nation's air fleet may have to be grounded during the earliest days, weeks or months of the new millennium, congressional officials say.

GPS (global positioning system) will fail August 21, 1999. Well before Jan 2000. All "receivers" will have to be changed out whenever they get the "fix" worked out.

According to Senator Horne, at the rate Transportation Departments going, they should be fully compliant by 2015. Department of Energy is in the same boat.

A set of crucial computers in the nation's air traffic control system should NOT be used beyond December 1999, because they may NOT operate reliably when the date rolls over to Jan. 1, 2000, and there is no way to predict the effect on air traffic, according to IBM, which built the computers. - There's only two folks at IBM who know the micro-code, and they're both retired.
Message 3153561
The computers in question are at the 20 Air Route Traffic Control Centers, which handle all the high-altitude, long-distance traffic in the country.

AIR TRANSPORT SUMMIT:
Message 3312437
NY TIMES: Message 3336858
USA TODAY: usatoday.com

<telecommuting and video-conferencing should benefit....>

IF ... we have electricity. LOL - Utilities WAY behind. So are telecoms. There's already been discussion about not accepting calls from certain foreign countries, come 2000.

Some utility companies who have actually been working on Y2K already admit that there will be PLANNED blackouts, brownouts and possiblity of surges.

They also admit good possibility of unplanned ones because of inter-relationships with others on the power grid. Most utilities haven't done anything on embedded systems. Weren't even aware this could be a problem until a couple of months ago.

If things are this bad in U.S. - how about foreign countries?

Cheryl



To: C.K. Houston who wrote (1006)2/5/1998 1:08:00 PM
From: C.K. Houston  Read Replies (2) | Respond to of 9818
 
Mr de Jager said a fear of libel or defamation suits has restricted publication of reports that have been brought to his attention in recent months.

Embedded Systems Problems Include:

- A chemical plant manager's description of an embedded chip that, if not fixed, will cause explosions involving chlorine gas.

- A list of 30 medical devices, including model numbers, and a description of how they will fail in Y2K.

- Details of a large chip manufacturer which has identified embedded systems that will fail and where the marketing department is making the decision on whether or not to tell customers.

"If these reports are true, then the companies affected are choosing to keep quiet." Mr de Jager said he was trying to convince such companies of the merits of disclosure.

"I am trying to bring about a sea change, especially with respect to embedded systems.
afr.com.au

OIL RIGS:
Message 3249852
LIFE SUPPORT EQUIPMENT:
Message 2977238
CHEMICAL PLANTS:
Message 3314364
may be catastrophic for the chemical process industries, the bug could cause innumerable shutdowns and horrific accidents