Accountancy software providers avoid getting burnt by the millennium bug, although Sage gets slightly singed Leading accountancy software providers have joined forces to report no major setbacks at the hands of the Millennium Bug - though Sage admitted that an older version of one of its packages had experienced problems. By Alex Miller[10 Jan 2000]

As consultants began to accuse companies of overspending on bug avoidance measures, software providers including SAP, Baan and Peoplesoft all reported they had not received complaints from customers over compliance issues as a result of Y2K.

SquareSum sent all its employees an internal memo confirming they had not received any calls for software support.

However Sage was forced to release a statement explaining why users of its 1997 Sage Instant Accounts package had experienced date change problems.

The statement said: 'Sage has experienced no specific problems with their software over the date change period. We have found that most calls from customers are as a result of non-compliant PCs and those who have discovered they are using non-compliant accounting software.

It added: 'Our Instant 97 was developed and released prior to the British Standards Institute guidelines for Year 2000. This product does not hold the title of Year 2000 compliant, but Instant Accounting 2000 is fully Year 2000 compliant and available to customers wishing to upgrade.'

A number of providers categorically denied companies had considerably overspent in order to prepare for the bug - despite estimates by International Data Corporation that Western Europe may have overspent on the Bug by up to $US41bn.

GartnerGroup research director, Andy Kyte, said: 'Some organisations may have spent too much but the spend was similar to an insurance premium designed to guard against any perceived problems.'

A spokesman for Access Accounting, said: 'We have always promoted our products as Y2K compliant and we have not been disproved in this claim. It appears the only providers suffering are those who have a number of older products still in use.

'There has been an overhype surrounding the number of viruses expected after the date change as there does not appear to be anywhere near as many as expected.'

Link to story:

http://www.accountancyage.com/News/105182

-- Carl Jenkins (Somewherepress@aol.com), January 21, 2000