With only 66 weeks until the Year 2000 makes it debut, the University of New England is confident its computer systems will be ready to enter the new era without catching the "millennium bug".
According to David Buckley, of UNE's Information Technology Services, the University is in the process of identifying those computer systems that are susceptible to the "bug" and taking the necessary steps to ensure they are "Year 2000 compliant" before the end of 1999.
The "millennium bug" is a date roll-over problem, caused by computer programmers abbreviating the dates on many computers and software programs to two figures to save memory space. As a result, those computers that are not compliant will read the Year 2000 as 1900. Other problems may then stem from this date miscalculation.
To assist it in overcoming the "millennium bug" challenge, UNE has deployed the services of the NSW Government Office of Information and has allocated around $5 million to the project.
"To test a computer for 'Year 2000 compliancy', we simply back-up its memory on a separate disk or tape, scroll forward its clock to 11.59pm on 31 December, 1999 and watch what happens when the clock strikes midnight," said Mr Buckley. "Three outcomes are possible: the computer can continue to work faultlessly, it can fail outright, or it can continue to function in a faulty state."
He said an inventory of UNE's computers and computers systems would be completed by the end of this year.
"We'll then know which computer systems require special attention, said Mr Buckley. "Once we have identified a computer or a system that is not 'Year 2000 compliant', it's simply a matter of deciding whether to renew it, replace it or retire it."
He said attention was currently focused on five main areas within the University: its building systems; the central computer network, central data systems, administration systems, and the telephone systems.
"Due to the size of the job, we've prioritised the work, beginning with those systems which affect the safety of students and staff, such as fire and security alarms, emergency exit lights, and lifts," said Mr Buckley. "These systems have all been tested and found to be 'Year 2000 compliant', as has UNE's telephone system central controller."
He said he expected the University's central data system to be certified "Year 2000 compliant" before the end of 1998 and its central computer network by mid-1999.
The University's Administration computer systems, which include personnel and student records, payroll and finance details, and library functions, are expected to be certified as "Year 2000 compliant" by September 1999.
Mr Buckley said the "millennium bug" had prompted many organisations and businesses to adopt "a new professionalism" when dealing with information technology and had resulted in many computer networks being streamlined and standardised.
"While we're facing a task of monumental proportion, this scenario also presents us with a number of opportunities which can help us operate more efficiently and effectively," he said.
The University plans to hold several public seminars during 1999 to help other organisations and businesses within the New England region insulate their computer systems from the "millennium bug".
Media contact: Andrew Wark, Publicity Office, UNE, Armidale, (02) 6773 2779
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Last updated 9 October, 1998