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

To: Jeff Mizer who wrote (4689)	3/15/1999 9:17:00 PM
From: C.K. Houston	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 9818

My biggest concern has ALWAYS been embedded systems. You need more electrical engineers (at site & vendor operations) and trained plant floor personnel working on this stuff. Sure, you need programmers - but mostly engineers. There are far fewer experienced electrical engineers out there than there are programmers. Getting firmware fixed is more complex than fixing software. Embedded systems are often in "hard-to-reach" places, encased in industrial "boxes". You have to take a line down - or shut an operation down to remediate and test. With software, you don't have to do this. You can remediate and test off-site. For something's that non-compliant, you often need hard-part replacement. Most of which is customized. Often times documentation just doesn't exist anymore. Plus there are the safety issues. Delivery will be a major issue. As I recall, and don't quote me on this ... I'll have to search out the link. One of the reasons National Guard is doing this nationwide "communications drill" ... is that 47% of the telephone switches are on back-order, and can't be delivered until after Jan 2000. I'm pretty sure that's the figure, cause I was bug-eyed when I saw it. I don't want anyone to panic. I don't want anyone to be frightened. I do want companies, large and small, to be working on the fix. I want individuals to take the issue seriously and take reasonable precautions. And I think this 72-hour spin by the govt is ridiculous. Glad you're better prepared than most. Cheryl