ITAA's Year 2000 Outlook
October 9, 1998                       Volume 3, No. 37

Published by the Information Technology Association of
America, Arlington, VA

Bob Cohen, Editor bcohen@itaa.org

Read in over 70 countries around the world

ITAA's Year 2000 Outlook is published every Friday to
help all organizations deal more effectively with the
Year 2000 software conversion.  To create a
subscription to this free publication, please visit
ITAA on the web at http://www.itaa.org/transact/2kou
tlooksub.htm.  To cancel an existing subscription,
visit http://www.itaa.org/transact/2kremove.htm.

ITAA's Year 2000 Outlook is sponsored in part by CACI
International Inc., DMR Consulting Group Inc., and
Y2Kplus

CIOs Say Y2K Could Cool Economy

A new survey conducted by CIO Communications, Inc.,
indicates that those at the top of the IT pyramid are
less than sanguine about getting Y2K repairs completed
on time.  Over two-thirds of the CIOs polled at the CIO
Perspectives conference in San Diego t his week
indicated the job of the century will not get done on
time, and that government officials and consumers
should be getting prepared to cope with the
consequences.  Those consequences could include an
economic slow-down in the U.S.  Seventy three p ercent
of respondents said Y2K has the potential to cool the
economy.  Over 50 percent thought Uncle Sam should be
creating a disaster recovery fund and emergency
management agency.

The CIOs are not exactly kicking back and letting the
date-deficient chips fall where they may.  Eighty
percent said they will document their personal
financial records.  Seventy-seven percent said they
would advise Americans to probe their banks on Y2K c
ompliance to assure the security of personal assets.
Sixty percent of these high flyers said they will keep
their feet on the ground on January 1, 2000.

That does not mean, however, that the CIOs are heading
for the hills any time soon.  Only about one in ten
plans to stockpile water or food.  Roughly the same
number plan to buy generators or wood stoves and 13
percent indicate they will build a fence, pu t in a
security alarm or greet the dawn of the new millennium
packing heat.  Less than 3 percent are considering a
new life in the North Woods.

Precautions are one thing; paychecks are another.
Fifty-one percent think they will keep their jobs even
if their companies’ Y2K problem goes unsolved.  This
optimism even extends to the nation’s biggest job.
Fifty-two percent said Vice President Al Gor e’s
presidential aspirations will not be jeopardized by
widespread software collapses.

Less than 10 percent of those polled say their firms
are 100 percent done with the conversion.  Perhaps that
is why one third are calling a halt to software
upgrades and new application development projects
between now and the Year 2000.

Overall, the CIOs appear to be feeling much more mellow
about the rollover than the average above-average Joe.
A ZDNN/Harris Y2K Survey of ZDNet website visitors,
also released this week, has 55 percent of respondents
planning a food stockpile, 45 perce nt purchasing extra
fuel and 61 percent withdrawing extra money from the
bank.  ZDNN calls its survey respondents “a
well-educated, well-to-do group -- many of whom work in
the information technology field.  If anyone knows Y2K,
our respondents do.”

RUY2KOK?  Uncle Sam Readies Y2K Week

The Federal Government will launch its Y2K Action Week
October 19-23.  Using the slogan, “Are You Y2K OK?” the
campaign has many components, including nationwide
newspaper advertising, Y2K posters in every post office
and thousands of government offices, educational
sessions, and even a postage cancellation mark.  More
than 100 private-sector organizations support the
government’s push to Y2K correctness.  Down the road,
the campaign, which is organized by the President’s
Council on the Y2K Conversion, is expected to add a
1-800 number and a Y2K component to “consumer.gov,” the
Federal Trade Commission’s link to federal consumer
information.  The campaign is intended to help the
nation’s 23.6 million small businesses take action on
the Y2K issue.  Learn more at
http://www.y2k.gov/new/y2kaction.htm.

New Jersey Lawmakers Seek Public Sector Immunity

New Jersey lawmakers have introduced a bill to give the
state’s public entities liability protection from Y2K
suits.  Introduced by Assemblyman Michael Arnone and
Assemblyman Raul Garcia, A2511 would shield public
entities in civil actions from liability for damages as
the result of failure of computer hardware, software or
related devices to recognize, calculate, display, sort
or process dates or times properly.  A statement
included with the bill asserts that it is unlikely that
all government-related Y 2K problems will be identified
and corrected. “The probable result is that thousands
of tort claims will be asserted against the state,
counties, municipalities, and public authorities and
agencies…” Other liability protection legislation has
been intro duced in California, Georgia, Florida,
Illinois, Indiana, Nevada, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania,
South Carolina, Virginia and Washington State.

Economic Ministry Queries Taiwan Small Businesses

A Taiwanese government survey of 1300 small businesses
finds 77 percent unaware of the Y2K problem or unable
to deal with it.  The Economics Ministry says only 58
percent of these firms use computers.

Gore Expected to Offer Y2K Views

Vice President Al Gore is expected to offer Y2K-related
remarks in his address to the International
Telecommunications Union XV Plenipotentiary in
Minneapolis Monday.  While confirming that Y2K will be
covered, the Vice President’s office refused to spe
culate on what Gore will say.  Telecom officials from
over 180 countries are expected to attend the ITU
meeting.

Business to Business

Thinking Tools, Inc. has announced a strategic
agreement with Viasoft to market Think 2000.

TRW, McLean, VA, has introduced a risk management and
contingency planning service.

The Century Services Inc. subsidiary of ZMAX has
entered into an agreement with Beijing Guo An
Electrical Corp. to market CSI Y2K tools and services
in China.

Information Analysis Inc., Fairfax, VA, has won a Y2K
contract with Tampa General Hospital.

Pinnacle Decision Systems announces that PinnPoint
Plus, a Y2K solution for the Focus language, will soon
be available in Europe.

PRC Inc., Reston, VA, has won Y2K awards from the
Nature Conservancy, the Internal Revenue Service, the
Bureau of the Census, Journal Communication, Inc. and
the US Patent and Trade Mark Office.

ITAA Y2K Information Center

Solution Providers Directory
http://www.itaa.org/script/2000vend.cfm

ITAA*2000 Certification Program
http://www.itaa.org/2000cert.htm

Outlook Archive
http://www.itaa.org/script/get2klet.cfm

Legislative and Litigation Table
http://www.itaa.org/Y2Klaw.htm

Calendar
http://www.itaa.org/y2kcal.htm

Vendor/User Status Questionnaires
http://www.itaa.org/questmain1.htm


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Information Technology Association of America, 1616 N.
Fort Myer Drive, Suite 1300, Arlington, VA 22209.
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