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Information Technology Services Smith College 1. What is the Year 2000 Problem? The Year 2000 Problem is a risk management threat rooted in a technical problem. For years, computer programmers have defined the date fields with a two-digit year when writing programs. This was all right as long as the data referred to events in the 20th century. However, as we start to deal with activities taking place in the Year 2000 and beyond, most computer programs will not be able to tell the difference between the years 2000 and 1900. Most applications represent dates in
a compact format when handling them within the programs and recording them
in their database. In other words, "year" information is represented with
just two digits instead of four. Twenty-first century dates (00, 01, 02...),
in a compact format, are considered numerically less than (and therefore
precede instead of follow) those of the 20th century (...96, 97, 98, 99).
The omission of the century information causes errors in chronological
sorting, in comparisons, in calculations of duration, etc., impacting practically
all date-relevant computer activity.
2. Does it affect me? Anyone who uses a computer will be
potentially affected by the Year 2000 Problem on January 1, 2000, or maybe
even sooner, unless corrective action is taken. Imagine going to work on
Monday, January 3, 2000, turning on your PC and finding that it will not
even boot up because the BIOS has not been configured to handle a four
digit year.
3. Will the Year 2000 Problem impact only software applications? While the overwhelming bulk of the problem relates to software, there are some PC hardware issues that must be addressed. Some older computers with non-compliant BIOS are not capable of working properly with dates of the 21st century, and must be replaced. In many cases, the system software (operating system, compilers, utilities, etc.) and software application packages will have the same type of problems and can be replaced with "Year 2000 compliant" versions. Devices with an embedded microprocessor
chip such as telephones, elevators, fax machines, copiers, etc. will need
to be evaluated for possible problems.
4. What is Smith College doing about it? In 1997-98, Information Technology Services completed the four-year replacement of the college's legacy administrative information system with new software (SCT Banner) that is Year 2000 compliant. Using this software, we have already enrolled the class of 2000, 2001 and 2002. However, there are many other computers and systems on campus that will be affected, faculty and staff desktop computers, elevators, heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems, and so forth. The Year 2000 Problem extends beyond the resources being managed by Information Technology Services. In conjunction with the Five Colleges
Inc. and our auditors (Coopers & Lybrand), Smith has begun the process
of assessing the Year 2000 readiness of our computers, software systems
and service suppliers. A plan detailing the necessary actions will be developed
and executed.
5. Will MY PC work correctly on January 1, 2000? Most of the personal computers (PCs) in operation on-campus today will be affected by the Year 2000 Problem in some manner. The source of the problem can come from several different levels, including: Hardware: a clock circuit that may be incapable of advancing dates to the year 2000 without intervention through the system BIOS. Operating System (OS): may not correctly recognize and process dates beyond December 31, 1999. Applications and Utilities: may have limited date-processing capabilities. Macintosh Computers - The Macintosh and Mac OS have had the ability to properly handle dates past December 31, 1999 since the introduction of the Macintosh computer. Any Mac OS application that makes correct use of the Mac OS Toolbox for clock functions will not have a problem transitioning to the year 2000. Dell Computers - Dell computers shipped on or after January 1, 1997 have the ability to properly handle dates beyond December 31, 1999 through the system BIOS. Dell computers shipped prior to January 1, 1997 will require, depending on their age, either an upgrade to the BIOS or a software patch, a software utility designed to assist users in managing the year 2000 rollover. The campus Year 2000 plan will make provisions to assist campus users in acquiring the appropriate solution. Microsoft OS - At this time, Microsoft claims that MS-DOS, Windows 3.1, and Windows 95 are "Year 2000 compliant with minor issues." However, Microsoft has not provided any software patches. They state that the problems are easy to work around. ITS plans to conduct further testing before recommending solutions. DOS and Windows Applications - The
campus Year 2000 plan will make provisions to assist campus users with
campus-wide standard software (e.g., Microsoft Word, Excel, and so forth).
Since many faculty members have purchased on their own a great variety
of software applications and utilities which ITS does not support, they
should obtain from the software manufacturer assurances as to the level
of Year 2000 compliance.
6. Where can I get more information? The following vendor web sites provided sources for answers to the questions above and offer specific information regarding the Year 2000 Problem and their products: http://www.apple.com/macos/info/2000.html |
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