The John Koskinen of Zimbabwe

greenspun.com : LUSENET : TimeBomb 2000 (Y2000) : One Thread

http://infoseek.go.com/Content?arn=a1694LBY652reulb-19990601&qt=zimbabwe&sv=IS&lk=noframes&col=NX&kt=A&ak=news1486

INTERVIEW-Zimbabwe largely millennium bug compliant
10:40 a.m. Jun 01, 1999 Eastern
By Godfrey Mutizwa

HARARE, June 1 (Reuters) - Zimbabwe has generally eliminated the threat posed by the 2000 computer bug, but funding problems may scuttle plans for a smooth switch into the new millennium, the leader of a national task force on compliance said on Tuesday.

``With confidence, we can say that we won't have major problems although we cannot rule out possible mishaps in some areas,'' Charles Nherera, the chairman of the Zimbabwe National Year 2000 Compliance Campaign, told Reuters in an interview.

``To a large extent the work that has been done is more than the work that remains to be done and we hope that by November/December we should be saying that we are compliant.''

The Y2K problem stems from the common practice of using only two digits to show the year in dates.

In 2000, some computers and microchips used in machines may read 00 as 1900, causing them to produce flawed data or crash.

Nherera, who said he would know within the next two weeks how much the whole exercise would cost and which areas needed most attention, said funding had been the main impediment in educating Zimbabwean companies on the need for preparedness.

Nherera's 25-member task force has established sector committees to educate companies and the public on the need to upgrade their computers to be 2000 compliant.

The task force has identified key sectors such as the activities of public utilities like the Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority, the Posts and Telecommunications Corporation, city councils and the health services sector.

``Awareness is no longer the issue but what we are doing is that we are dishing out more information. We also must have contingency plans for all critical areas,'' Nherera said.

An earlier estimate put the cost of making key sectors compliant at more than Z$300 million ($7.87 million).

``There is still a lot of work to be done and I hope that the cooperation that we have received from both the government and the private sectors will be translated into action and investment to tackle the problem,'' Nherera said.

$1 - 38.10 Zimbabwe dollars

((Harare newsroom: +263-4 725-227/8/9))

Copyright 1999 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.

-- Linkmeister (link@librarian.edu), June 01, 1999

Answers

Article said that they hope to be compliant in November or December. I hope it doesn't slip...

Anyone get which year that was?

-- Mad Monk (madmonk@hawaiian.net), June 01, 1999.


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