Nations rated as new year nears

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

Interesting report from the International Y2K Cooperation Center. Here are some snips:

Italy: "Among the worst-prepared countries in the West, experts say. The consensus among information technology professionals: Italy should be focusing on how to cope with Y2K-related failures because it's too late for repair work in many sectors. Italy did not create a national Y2K committee until February, eight months to two years after most other developed nations.

The potential failure of everything from phones to street lights is worrisome given the half-million pilgrims expected in Rome for the New Year."

Japan: "Although Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi says authorities don't think the millennium bug will trigger major disruptions, he has advised his countrymen to stock up on food, water and other necessities. . . . Despite government assurances that all is prepared, experts say Japan got started late on Y2K work. They are particularly worried about small- and medium-sized businesses. They note that Japan is among the world's most technologically dense nations. And the more computerized a nation is, the greater the chances of Y2K failures, even in the systems where remediation work has been done."

Venezuela: "Officials in Venezuela, one of the largest foreign suppliers of oil to the United States, say the country is well-prepared. But many Y2K expert say the government is deluding itself. Consultant Jim Cassell calls Venezuela "the poster boy of nonpreparedness in Latin America." He says electricity grids, telephones, customs services, air traffic control, ports and even the oil industry may suffer disruptions."

Not a rosy picture at all.

Nations rated as new year nears

-- M Mastrorilli (mastrorilli@hotmail.com), December 22, 1999

Answers

Britain: "Action 2000 certifies that grocers will be able to provide adequate supplies during the first critical hours and days"

Not true. Action2000 certifies nothing, they only collate and publish the the unverified claims of participating businesses, liberally plastered with disclaimers as to the quality of the data, and their remediation/preparation advice which is, of course, "Businesses! Keep remediating... [insert picture, wait for attention span of reader to expire]... Consumers! Don't prepare, because all businesses are finished remediation."

Sigh.

-- Servant (public_service@yahoo.com), December 22, 1999.


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