British Companies Are Well Prepared For The Millennium Bug

ICL warns companies to be aware of the perils of e-greeting cards

Over 75% of CEOs and senior executives are confident that major British companies have done everything they can to minimise disruption which may be caused by the Millennium Bug, according to research launched today by ICL, the IT services company. The research was conducted by MORI as part of its Captains of Industry survey, carried out annually among top level executives of Britain's top 500 companies.

Jane Burns, ICL's Year 2000 world-wide communications manager said: "These figures are very encouraging and it is reassuring British companies have taken sensible precautions. However, companies should not be complacent about the possible effects of the Millennium Bug. To ensure a smooth transition into the next millennium companies must have well-tested contingency plans in place to cover any unforeseen circumstances, such as e-greeting cards which may contain viruses.

"We are confident our systems and those of our customers with Y2K programmes in which we have been involved are compliant, but believe a continuity plan is an integral part of any millennium strategy.

"What's more," Burns continued, "Businesses should be on the look-out, for unscrupulous operators offering 'unseasonal' offers of help, such as last minute Y2K fixes.

They should not be fooled into buying specialist software which claims to warn of Millennium Bug 'eating' data and instead they should use standard backup routines as planned. Also, beware of premium rate telephone advice and guidance. You may end up paying heavily for ten or fifteen minutes of canned music."

For advice on any Millennium Bug issues, contact your systems vendor directly or via their website. Most, like ICL, publish full and informative compliance information and some offer a helpdesk service. The helpdesk for ICL customer enquiries can be contacted on: 0990-122 000

Other findings showed that only 10% of those surveyed did not believe British businesses were ready to do battle with the Millennium Bug. A further one in ten did not know if businesses were prepared or could not say either way.

The Do's and Don'ts of Y2K

DO

Take a backup

Download/upgrade to the latest version of your virus protection software

DON'T

Panic or be panicked into any action that might jeopardise your position e.g. last minute upgrades

Open any seasonal e-greetings from unknown sources, it may contain a virus

Take any unusual actions, that you have not previously tested or are confident will work appropriately e.g. powering off systems not normally switched off

Milestones in ICL's Year 2000 programme

ICL's Year 2000 programme encompasses a wide range of activities and awareness programmes. Key highlights include:

• October 1995: ICL began its Year 2000 Programme.
• May 1996: Alan Rowley appointed as director of the ICL Year 2000 Programme.
• May 1996: ICL first published its product compliance status on the ICL website (www.icl.com).
• May 1996: ICL began writing to its world-wide customer base to communicate the Year 2000 problem and forewarn of possible problems. The mailing was completed in December 1998 with over 150,000 letters sent.
• October 1997: ICL mobilised 'Dad's Army' (former employees and retired staff) to create a larger resource for Year 2000 skills to meet customer demands. This workforce was used in a number of highly successful customer projects.
• November 1997: ICL urged Year 2000 openness, recommending companies include a statement of Year 2000 preparedness in their annual reports.
• January 1997: ICL became a major sponsor of Taskforce 2000 and continues this support to the present day.
• September 1997: ICL became a founder member of Action 2000's advice and best practice group.
• March 1998: ICL staff are seconded into Action 2000 to support their programmes.
• February 1998: ICL launched a Year 2000 self-help pack for SMEs.
• July 1998: ICL was a founder signatory of Pledge2000 with Unilever, Tarlo Lyons, Sainsbury, the IGD and Action 2000. The Pledge called for companies to sign a six-point manifesto, voicing their commitment to tackling Year 2000 problems through co-operation and a policy of openness.
• November 1998: ICL announced contract from BT to ensure 80,000 of its UK desktop computers were complaint
• January 1999: ICL commissioned a poll examining attitudes to the Millennium Bug and identified key areas which people believed would be affected. Conducted by MORI, 200 IT/new media and telecoms specialists in business with an annual turnover of 1631million or more and 596 of the general public across the UK were questioned and their results compared.

Technical details

In November 1999, ICL commissioned research within the MORI/Captains of Industry annual survey, which interviews main board directors from Britain's top 500 companies. The companies surveyed are drawn from the FTSE 500, the top 500 companies by turnover and the top 100 financial companies by capital employed. 102 top directors were interviewed including companies in the manufacturing (23%), retail (37%), banking and finance (16%), construction (8%), utilities (8%) and transportation (5%) sectors. Interviewees ranged from chief executives (47%), chairmen (20%), financial directors (17%), and managing directors (7%).