Y2k? We'll Be Right, Says Govt Spokesman
Sydney Morning Herald
Monday June 14, 1999
With just 200 days to go until the year 2000 computer bug strikes, Australians could make the final countdown "with increasing confidence", said Senator Ian Campbell, the parliamentary secretary to the Minister for Communications, Senator Alston, yesterday.
However, the Federal Government, which has spent $600 million fixing its own computer systems, was still concerned about two main problems: the small-to-medium enterprise sector and the readiness of our trading partners, Senator Campbell said.
Details about the extent of the so-called Y2K problem - which may cause some computer systems to malfunction on January 1, 2000 - was still sketchy in many parts of the world, especially Asia and some parts of Europe.
"We're trying to get a tighter assesment on the risks for our trading partners," he said.
"I think over the next quarter we will be able to make some better assessments as to where the failure is likely to occur [in order] to minimise the effect on trade."
"The Government is directing aid through its existing aid programs to help with Y2K but at this stage it is very hard to get clear details on where things might go wrong."
Experts don't expect planes to fall from the sky and they don't think nuclear missiles will be accidentally activated.
But they don't discount some unpleasantness, and governments and medium-sized corporations in Germany, France and China have been singled out as being the most likely to be affected.
Research company the Gartner Group famously said more than two years ago that it would cost between $US300 billion ($450 million) and $US600 billion to cure the bug.
Big corporations across the world have been spending millions of dollars to fix their computers and, according to Gartner, the results have been impressive.
"The vast majority of large organisations which control the vast amount of services and goods in developed economies are there or thereabouts," said Gartner analyst Mr Andy Kyte.
Armageddon was not going to happen, he said.
© 1999 Sydney Morning Herald
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