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1st appeared 10 August 1998 Squashing the Millennium Bug With all of the hype about the "year 2000 problem," it's hard to know what to expect when the new millennium begins -- and what exactly needs to be done to avert a dangerous technological time warp. Known by many names -- the year 2000 problem, the millennium bug, Y2K -- this computer bug will cause many computer systems to perceive the year 2000 as the year 1900. The problem has potentially disastrous and far-reaching consequences if not dealt with ahead of time, such as shutting down crucial systems in hospitals and airports. Because programmers in the early days tried to save memory by using two digits instead of four to represent the year, programmers of today either have to rewrite code or replace whole systems for the year 2000 to be recognized. Information technology experts say the problem is not that complex, but identifying which systems need fixing can be very cumbersome. Recent surveys suggest that about 80% of hospitals are analyzing the problem, but only 30% have come up with Y2K strategies. And 90% of physicians are not dealing with the issue, according to a special US Senate committee looking into the issue. UCSF Stanford has implemented a strategy to deal with the problem and has set up two year 2000 project teams that focus on updating existing systems, clinical equipment, and facility support. Outside of clinical enterprises, UCSF's administrative, payroll and financial systems are being updated by Administrative Computing. All other non-clinical systems are being dealt with by individual departments. AdCom has been working on the problem at UCSF for a few years and has made compliant many of the campus' general administrative systems. "The problem can range from desktop computers to applications that have been purchased or developed for individual, departmental or campuswide use," said Ian Tuller, director of computing and customer support. "AdCom has been working on general administrative systems, basically by replacing them, for example, with the Online Financial System (OLFS). We're just about done with that. General ledger, accounts payable, purchasing, payroll -- those systems now are year 2000 compliant." "Some systems are so old that no one around knows the program or language," Tuller said. "There have been instances of older programmers being called out of retirement to fix them." The Dean's Office in the School of Medicine is well on its way to making its systems Year 2000 compliant and the Department of Medicine says it has no year 2000 issues. "The Dean's office is pretty much up to speed," said Stephen Berry, director of Information Services. "We are now completing modifications to programs and will definitely be done before the end of the year." Although UCSF has not established a formal year 2000 group to facilitate information sharing, the Office of the President has created an in-depth website devoted to the issue. The site, located at www.ucop.edu/irc/yr2000/, is not only a place to share information but also acts as a repository for vendor information on compliance products. The site gives an overview of the problem and detailed information on solving it. UCOP has also established a listserv, Y2000-l@ucop.edu, for computing specialists to discuss year 2000 issues. by Paula Murphy Links: School of Medicine website on Year 2000 Exterminating the 2000 Bug From Home Systems (New York Times article-requires free registration) |
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