Israel Lagging In Preparations For Y2k - Report

Updated 3:14 PM ET August 10, 1999JERUSALEM (Reuters) -

Israel's state comptroller said Tuesday key government offices and state-owned utilities were behind schedule in preparing for the Year 2000 computer bug.

In a report issued Tuesday, the comptroller urged authorities to take the Y2K problem, or so-called millennium bug, more seriously.

Experts fear that computers and software which use only two-digit numbers to represent years could malfunction or crash if they interpret the zeroes in the year 2000 to mean 1900 when the year ends.

"In light of the short time left to complete preparations, the government must quickly put the issue on its agenda in order to decide on measures still necessary," the report said.

While some institutions had taken steps to counter the problem, they were "behind schedule and lagging in their timetable."

The comptroller said the government had rejected his recommendation to establish a commission to oversee preparations in all government offices and service providers, including the Israel Electric Corp, Bezeq Israel Telecom and main hospitals.

The report reviews what each institution has done to prepare for the problem and concludes there are still "soft spots."

"No leading government institution has a full picture of the situation regarding readiness of government offices and other important institutions, the existing dangers and the steps which must still be taken," it said.

The director-general of the prime minister's office, Yossi Kucik, said in response that preparations in some offices were lagging but that overall Israel was among world leaders in steps taken to counter the danger.

He said Israel Electric Corp had already spent $58 million to overcome the problem. Bezeq said last week it had spent $64 million to ready its networks.

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Ray

-- Ray (ray@totacc.com), August 10, 1999

Answers

Hey I thought Isreal was going to have a "national y2k day" and test everything all at once. I can't find it now but I thought this was going to be in June? I have asked this ? before but does anyone know if the have had it yet or what?

I would think that Isreal would see the biggest immediate threat they face is from y2k and being caught with their pants down by Iraq or Syria or the PLO or whomever.

-- Johnny (JLJTM@BELLSOUTH.NET), August 10, 1999.