YEAR 2000: Avoid getting bit by the Millennium Bug!

Each Board of Education Office, each school, each service building, perhaps vehicles, and the suppliers where you obtain goods and services will all be influenced by the potential year/day/date sensitive effect of going into "year-2000" and some other dates as well. It is important to be aware of the following dates: April 9, 1999 = 99^th day of the year 99 which is 9999. 9999 = "end of file" in many programming languages and may signal a computer to permanently close its files on that day. Also there may be a problem in your computer(s) recognizing the leap year date of February 29, 2000 and January 1, 2001.

Equipment effected:

**All Computers and Computer Networks

**Building management for mechanical/electrical systems operated by micro-computers.

**Equipment controlled in part by "embedded computer chips", this ranges from boilers - photocopiers - VCR’s - some vehicles - telephone systems - elevators - fire alarm panels - burglar alarms systems - fire sprinkler systems - electronic thermostats - central air conditioning systems - bar code readers - fax machines - postage machines - software for payroll/accounting/budgets/school records - satellite tracking - distance education support equipment - credit card readers - administration of medication by automated device (as simple as an IV drip) - and many more.

It is recommended that in addition to the work already carried out at your locations, consider to also:

**Assign a person, who will have sufficient authority to make equipment and operation changes, to study the current "year-2000" situation - report on that - and to recommend/submit budget/ and carry out approved plan for testing and upgrades.

**Identify and list the types of electronic systems and software applications that you have. Call/write the suppliers of your equipment and ask for a written document stating that their equipment will function in "year-2000" or what modifications/cost required to correct functions.

**Go to the Internet "year-2000" references and access information provided by most manufacturers about their products.

**Determine which systems are essential to your day-to-day operations and where your systems are linked or dependent on outside systems.

**Report/Budget/correct/and replace equipment as required.

**Test your systems by simulating real operation conditions with year 2000 dates. Be careful to first save all your records onto disk and paper hardcopy.

**Assess the impact your systems will have on current student/former students (providing scholastic records etc.), and the impact that suppliers and service providers (consultants submitting computer reports to board) will have on you.

**Develop a contingency plan for continuing operations in case your system or an outside service supplier is disrupted.

**Verify that your bank and financial services provide paper statements before Y2K date and that you will have access to your funds for cash flow/salary payments in the event that the bank has a Y2K glitch.

As part of your Year-2000 "Care and Due Diligence", make certain to cover off:

Board of Education business and student records are saved and can be recovered and can be made available.

Salary and pension and benefit entitlement and payment records and cash flow of payments are maintained without interruption.

The service commitments of the Board of Education to the students and the community will not be interrupted.

Bank, investment, revenue source, debenture records are secure.

Visit Recommended Sites:

Industry Canada

Canadian Federation of Independent Business

Information Technology Association of Canada

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