COMPUTERWORLD AUSTRALIA: "Millennium glitch hits Dutch home banking software"

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Millennium glitch hits Dutch home banking software

By Joris Evers
7 January, 2000

HAARLEM - Thousands of Dutch bank customers discovered this week that they can't use all the features of their online banking software because of a Year 2000-related problem.

Some 6000 users of the Apple Macintosh version of Postbank's Gironet software found they could not postdate electronic payments. The software, developed by Apple, was not Year 2000-compliant. Ton van Garderen, General Manager of Apple Computer Benelux, admits there is a glitch. He describes it as a "small problem." "The program will be repaired and new software sent to customers from January 15," he said.

Another millennium bug in the banking sector hit VSB Bank. Hundreds of customers using an old version of the bank's PC Banking software were unable to bank online.

In a statement VSB Bank denies any responsibility, but acknowledges the problem has to do with the millennium changeover.

"We started replacing the outdated, not millennium-proof software in March 1999. Some people never asked for new software, not even after we approached them a second time. We then assumed they were not using the service anymore," VSB Bank said in a statement.

The bank promises to honor any request for updated software within a week.

Glitches in the online banking software are the first known disruptions linked to the millennium bug in the Netherlands. The Dutch government spent 2 billion Dutch guilders ($US933 million) in preparation of the rollover, private companies spent 18 billion guilders.

[ENDS]

-- John Whitley (jwhitley@inforamp.net), January 07, 2000

Answers

"We started replacing the outdated, not millennium-proof software in March 1999. Some people never asked for new software, not even after we approached them a second time."

Well, I guess it is difficult to remediate ignorance.

-- Malcolm Taylor (taylorm@es.co.nz), January 07, 2000.


The article doesn't say if they had to buy the software or not, remember the Dutch are veerrrry frugal. They're not ignorant either, most are bilingual in English as well as Dutch, and they are taught French and German in school as well. Lurker 13

-- lurker 13 (lurker13@nowhere.here), January 07, 2000.

Do you have the URL, John? Thanks so much for all your posts.

-- Sheri (wncy2k@nccn.net), January 07, 2000.

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