All: This was sent to me by a prior co-worker ...
Regards,
TED
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LA JOLLA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE) via NewsEdge Corporation -- Most large enterprises (those with 1,000 or more employees) are on their way to addressing the Year 2000 (Y2K) issue, but few of their sites have completed project activity, according to new research from ZD Market Intelligence, a leading source of fact-based information about the computer and communications industries.
The Year 2K issue, one of the biggest challenges ever faced by IT professionals, is a decades-old programming flaw that has the potential to wreak havoc within computer installations of all sizes when the calendar rolls over to Jan. 1, 2000. Many systems with a limited two-character date field will show the date as Jan. 1, 1900, causing system errors and crashes.
Analyzing data collected from more than 19,000 locations (sites) among 2,441 large enterprises, ZD Market Intelligence has discovered that nearly 80 percent of IT managers contacted have indicated commitment to address the Y2K issue. However, only 17 percent of sites contacted have completed a Y2K project. Slightly more than half of all locations polled indicated that a project is under way and they are working on the problem of the date/time issue.
Y2K Activity .........................% of Sites Contacted
Finished Y2K project(s) ........................17%
Have Ongoing Y2K Project(s) ....................54%
Have Plans to Initiate Project(s)............... 8%
Have No Need/Plans to Address Y2K Issue.........21%
Source: Computer Intelligence Technology Information Database
Sample from ZD Market Intelligence
"Mainframe shops are definitely committed to addressing the Y2K issue with nearly all (95 percent) reporting some type of solution activity," said Jerry Berry, Senior Industry Analyst for ZD Market Intelligence. "However, only 10 percent of mainframe shops in large enterprises have completed projects, indicating the complexity and time-consuming nature of fixing the Y2K problem on big iron.
"Sites relying on midrange systems or servers alone to run operations and those using Intel-based servers only are much further along in completing Y2K projects. This attention to non-mainframe systems and servers indicates large corporations are aware of how widespread the Y2K issue can be and the effect it can have on the business."
Even sites with standalone PCs have shown significant completed or on-going Y2K project activity, confirming the problems that exist with non-compliant BIOS, or software programs on PCs, Berry said.
"Even the network itself can be at risk," he said. "Network managers are just beginning to realize that some of the firmware and software supporting the network may not be compliant, setting them up for possible failure of network traffic when January 2000 hits less than 20 months from now. "
While many sites within large enterprises deploy heterogeneous hardware platform environments, a significant number depend on a single type of system to run operations at that location. In addition to mainframe data centers, ZD Market Intelligence has isolated and measured Y2K project activity at sites deploying other types of system platforms or use only standalone PCs:
Year 2000 Project Activity
Type of Site......% Completed....% Ongoing..% Planning...% No Activity
Mainframe...............10%...........70%........15%.............5%
Midrange[A] Only
(System/Server).........19%...........54%.........8%.............19%
Intel Server Only.......19%...........52%.........7%.............22%
PCs Only................13%...........38%.........5%.............44%
[A] Midrange includes proprietary systems such as the DEC VAX,
IBM AS/400, HP 3000 and major RISC based processors such as the Digital Alpha series, HP 9000, IBM RS/6000, and others.
Source: Computer Intelligence Technology Database from ZD Market Intelligence
With Y2K project information identified at more than 75,000 sites, ZD Market Intelligence will continue to track solution activity, identifying enterprises and sites that are addressing the issue and those that are not.
ZD Market Intelligence, formerly Computer Intelligence, is a leading provider of sales and marketing solutions to a wide spectrum of computer and telecommunications companies. More than 10,000 users access ZD Market Intelligence data on a regular basis.
ZD Market Intelligence's extensive research capabilities provide a wide variety of products and services that help companies sell and market more effectively. All are based on proprietary-information databases of technology usage and buying activity in large- to medium-size businesses and homes.
With headquarters in La Jolla, ZD Market Intelligence has U.S. offices in Cambridge, Mass., Norwalk, Conn.; Sunnyvale, Calif.; and Dallas. European headquarters are in Paris, with sales offices in the United Kingdom, Germany and Spain, and sales agents in Belgium and Switzerland. Samples of ZD Market Intelligence's extensive market data and research results, timely commentary from industry authorities and previews of upcoming technology events are available on the company's World Wide Web site, www.zdintelligence.com (formerly www.ci.zd.com).
Ziff-Davis, a SOFTBANK company, is high tech's preeminent integrated media and marketing company. ZD content is the trusted source of information for the global audience of business buyers and savvy consumers who believe in the benefits of adopting new technology. Ziff-Davis enables marketers to identify, reach and retain this audience through an integrated system of media products and marketing services including research, events, print, Internet, television and education.
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