Heres a new definition of Y2K compliance, Id not heard before!

Diane

SEPTEMBER 9, 1999 . . . 10:53 EDT

Senator says Y2K compliance is not risk free

BY ORLANDO De BRUCE (orlando_debruce@fcw.com)

http://www.fcw.com/pubs/fcw/1999/0906/web-y2k-09-09-99.html

[Fair Use: For Educational/Research Purposes Only]

In his second appearance last week at the National Press Club, Sen. Robert Bennett (R-Utah) said yesterday that American businesses and the federal government, even if they believe their computer systems are Year 2000-compliant, should still cross their fingers.

Bennett, chairman of the Senate Special Committee on the Year 2000 Technology Problem, said being Year 2000-compliant generally does not mean there will be no problems. Rather, he said, it means those systems may experience some minor glitches that can be fixed within 72 hours.

"If you say you are Year 2000-compliant, that means that problems will be few,'' Bennett said. "How many systems and how long [we will experience problems] depends on how much remediation you've done.''

Since April 1998, Bennett's committee has held more than 30 hearings, gathered testimony from 150 witnesses and amassed a repository of information on Year 2000 and its probable effects on the federal government and the private sector.

In March the committee released a 164-page report about the impact of the Year 2000 computer problem. A new report is set for release this month.

Because of their involvement with the Year 2000 problem, Bennett and Sen. Christopher Dodd, (D-Conn.), co-chairman of the Senate Special Committee on the Year 2000 Technology Problem, were invited to the National Press Club to discuss their thoughts on the status of the Year 2000 computer problem in the federal government and in the private sector.

"We are in very good shape here at home with respect to Year 2000,'' Dodd said. "We are in a lot better shape than I think either of us would have predicted.''

Despite the optimism, Dodd said he is still concerned about the health care industry and the international community. "There are some medical devices that are still vulnerable,'' Dodd said. "The medical devices still worry me.''

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), September 10, 1999

Answers

TRANSCRIPT of National Press Club Event of September 8, 1999

http://www.senate.gov/~y2k/speeches/transcript090899.htm

And...

Another synopsis is over at the USIS/USIA Washington Files link...

08 September 1999

U.S. Senate's Y2K Leaders Confident in Readiness

(Needless Public Panic Greatest Threat) (670)
By Charlene Porter
USIA Staff Writer

http://www.usia.gov/cgi-bin/washfile/display.pl?p=/products/washfile/ latest&f=99090801.glt&t=/products/washfile/newsitem.shtml

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), September 10, 1999.

Some other thread discussions...

Bennett-Dodd Address (I was there/my notes)

http://www.greenspun.com/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg.tcl?msg_id= 001NAw

What question would you have asked Senators Bennett and Dodd at today's press conference?

http://www.greenspun.com/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg.tcl?msg_id= 001N8e

Bennett's comment on CSPAN 2

http://www.greenspun.com/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg.tcl?msg_id= 001NL0

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), September 10, 1999.

Not exactly related, but kind of :) ---------

Ed Yardenis latest (9/9/99) says he still predicts 70% chance of global recession ASSUMING electricity, phones, banking, air travel, and the other major items ALL STAY UP, and embedded chips are no problem.

He doesn't say what will happen if any of these fail.

Bennet is almost as bad as Milne says --- telling companies to "cross their fingers" is a real deep insight and tremendous help!

-- Jon Johnson (narnia4@usa.net), September 10, 1999.

08 September 1999 (Needless Public Panic Greatest Threat) By Charlene Porter USIA Staff Writer

* * *

Wonder if they'll ever decide tell us how much Panic the Public actually does need? Oops... I forgot... only "3-day-winter-storm's" worth of panic per citizen, please. *rueful grin*

-- M.C. Hicks (mhicks@greenwich.com), September 10, 1999.

If the entities are sure enough that any glitches are minor and can be fixed within 72 hours, why not just fix them now? Or if they can't fix them now because they don't know exactly what they are, how can they be so sure that they can be fixed within 72 hours at any time?

-- Spanky (spamme@no.more), September 10, 1999.

Spanky,

Don't be so logical.

-- Mara Wayne (MaraWayne@aol.com), September 10, 1999.

See also...

And they call US paranoid
(Bennett warns China may attack America through Y2K-weakened computers)

http://www.greenspun.com/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg.tcl?msg_id= 001Nvd

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), September 10, 1999.