Web Budgets Unaffected By Y2K - Survey

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

http://asia.yahoo.com/headlines/050899/technology/933793740-134375.html

PALO ALTO, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1999 AUG 4 (NB) By Brian O'Connell, Newsbytes.

Next time that wise guy from accounting tells you that the Y2K bug soaked up everyone's Web development budget in 1999, tell him to think again. A new study by Constructors, Inc., an e-commerce development firm in Palo Alto, Calif., said that, contrary to popular opinion, Y2K has not had a significant impact on Web budgets or revenues.A whopping 89 percent of 180 companies participating in the report said that Y2K has had no impact at all on their Web-related revenues, and 70 percent expect that picture to remain in place for the remainder of 1999. Another 60 percent said they didn't see Y2K as an impediment for their Web development efforts.

Most Web developers also forecast rapid growth -- and a substantial hike in revenues -- for the new millennium. During the year 2000, 30 percent expect over 75 percent more revenues, 35 percent expect 50-75 percent, and 25 percent expect 25-50 percent increases. The lone sour note? About 55 percent of survey respondents expect their clients to be affected by Y2K supply chain problems.

About 70 percent of study participants were companies with 50 employees or more.

"Though many companies have diverted dollars to prepare for Y2K, it looks like Web-building budgets haven't been cut," says Felix Kramer, chief executive officer at Constructors.

The news is no surprise to some analysts. "Our research, and we have been following this for issue for three years, shows that Web development has not been affected by Y2K," explained Kazim Isfahani, industry analyst at Giga Information Group in Cambridge, Mass. "It's a strategic versus tactical issue -- the Web is much more business oriented than, say, data warehousing. You don't want your competitors to beat you on the Internet."

-- Mr. Decker (kcdecker@worldnet.att.net), August 05, 1999

Answers

1. Most Web DEVELOPERS are utterly clueless about Y2K.

2. Agree entirely with the business argument. In fact, it wouldn't be feasible technically (let along from business side) to have everyone working on Y2K anyway.

3. If Web stays up post-Y2K (and I believe keeping it up and/or bringing it back up will be right up there with banking and utilities as a world priority, even ahead of voice in countries where telecom fails), its importance will be even greater than pre-rollover. Even if Y2K an 8. Especially if Y2K an 8.

ie., --- the chances that I will be arguing with Decker, Flint and Hoff about early Y2K impacts in January and February, 2000 on this board is quite high, even if I am cursing my connection for dropping me 15 times a day and bemoaning lower throughput. For the sake of all of us, I am looking forward to that result.

-- BigDog (BigDog@duffer.com), August 05, 1999.


BigDog, If telecommunications and electricty make it...

Mr. Decker, again, this is not news of remediation. Of course there is much business as usual going on. In fact, that's what is so frightening and bizarre.

-- Mara Wayne (MaraWayne@aol.com), August 05, 1999.


Ditto Mara

If Y2K were getting the RESPECT it deserves, the budgets would be impacted.

-- Jim (x@x.x), August 05, 1999.


Mara and Jim --- Throwing more bodies at Y2K just to throw them wouldn't help anyway. This is one of the reasons it is now too late, btw. You could throw everyone in an org at Y2K over the next five months and only make matters worse.

Yes, I agree absolutely that many companies have punted more or less. However, it IS possible to focus like a laser on Y2K and, say, on Web development. What you can't do is focus on business-as-usual in EVERY IT area PLUS Y2K.

And, even though I still expect a DEPRESSION (and fear the possibility of TEOTWAWKI), I stand by my response above. That is, the Web is itself partly a HEDGE against Y2K, since it is critical infrastructure and will be restored ahead of much other infrastructure should it go down.

-- BigDog (BigDog@duffer.com), August 05, 1999.


I didn't comment on this idiotic statement, because I figured someone like Hoff would:

"It's a strategic versus tactical issue -- the Web is much more business oriented than, say, data warehousing. You don't want your competitors to beat you on the Internet."

What nonsense. Data warehousing is HIGHLY strategic. In fact, Web strategies that work are dependent on data warehousing being done well (talking about big corps here).

-- BigDog (BigDog@duffer.com), August 05, 1999.



Moderation questions? read the FAQ