Y2K Virus
Back in the 1950's and 1960's, when computers were just begging to emerge, data storage space was expensive and in short supply. By today's standards even the largest of the mainframe computers had insignificant hard memory storage abilities. Computer programmers adopted a habit of using two digits (55, 56, 57, ....) in their programming codes to indicate the year, this is called COBOL. Programmers knew this practice might cause problems with the data rolled over to 2000 at the end of the century. However, they decided to save thousands of bytes of hard disc storage space in the more complex banking and government software packages. At the time, the two-digit system was looked at as a creative and necessary method of stretching the limited data storage space on early electronic machines. Early computer programmers believed the computers they installed the two-digit date coding in would be completely obsolete and replaced in the 1970's or 1980's; long before the turn of the millennium. Today, as the year 2000 quickly approaches, thousands of those early mainframe computers using COBOL are still in use and still incorporate the two-digit year scheme. The problem that ar
Richards, Bob. Beware: Prepare For Y2K Glitches. Madison Capitol Times, p.1D. (1998, October 10) Olmsted, Scott. Prepare for the Year 2000 Crash: The Threat To Your Everyday Life." Online. Internet. 12 April, 1998. Available: http://www.prepare4y2k.com/everyday.htm Similarly, businesses must also be prepared for the problems that the Y2K could create for their machines. "The alternative to addressing the Year 2000 will be going out of business." (Celko 2) Businesses depend of computers for everyday operations, finances and numerous other databases. As the turn of the new millennium approaches, devastation for businesses may also be approaching. The Y2K computer bug could strip companies of their entire customer databases, destroying years of work and information gathering. Corporations must prepare for the shock that the Y2K could deliver. "The UW-Madison also began seeing the problem several years ago when making academic schedules that reached into the new millennium. It fixed those problems as they turned up, but only hired a Year 2000 coordinator last summer." (Carleton/Saemann 1A) Power and water seem to be the items of most concern. Utilities use hundreds of computer chips in a vast array of everyday situations. If even one computer chip is not Y2K compliant, shutdown could occur. "That is why every employee of Madison-based Alliant Utilities will be working on New Year's Eve 1999, even after the company spends $35 million or more to correct the year 2000 problem." (Armstrong 1) The Y2K bug not only creates internal problems within business; it also creates problems serving customers. Without customers, business cannot survive. "Several credit card systems have problems that cause cards entered with a year of 00 to be designated as invalid." (Manly 1) Companies must prepare a backup plan for computer problems. "Several machines have already started to exhibit the millennium bug." (Manley) They may not be able to depend on their cash registers, credit card machines and computers. Corporations around the world must also find an alternative route to take if their suppliers and networking capabilities are shut down by the Y2K glitch. "All of these problems get compounded by the degree to which most large computer systems are networked and interdependent." (Manley) Companies have to take preventative steps in order to prevent Y2K from creating problems not only within their computers, but also in the computers of the businesses they work with. Businesses and corporations must take the precautionary steps of preparation to finding a solution to the Y2K computer bug before thousands of dollars and hours of work are lost in technological space on January 1, 2000. Tzemach, Gayle. "Congressional Report Says Govt. Not Prepared For Year 2000: Government Gets Failing Grade." ABC News Online. Internet. 23 November, 1998. Available: http://www.abcnews.com/sections/us/DailyNews/2000bug981123.html ises from the COBOL system in that the computers will interpret "00" as the year 1900. It is uncertain at this point how this will effect computers and other electronic equipment that control our daily lives. No one is certain how the year 2000 will affect the transfer
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Approximate Word count = 2172
Approximate Pages = 9 (250 words per page double spaced)
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