Heres ConEds response to concerning thier Y2K status

Thank you for your recent e-mail. Here are some answers to your questions:

Q1) We inventoried 6.5 million lines of software code and then changed several thousand by a technique called windowing. The company has 403 software systems such as accounts payable and receivable, materials management and customer assistance. When renovated code is returned to Con Edison, it goes through testing by company analysts and business users. Tests by IT personal are done on a separate platform within one of our mainframes. There is a technical term for this type of testing, but I'm not an IT type so I don't know it.

As of 2/28/99, 331 or 82 percent of the above 403 software systems have been changed, tested and put back in service. In other words, business functionality is always tested.

We also did a complete inventory of our electric, gas and steam systems to identify any digital components. Once that list was developed, we assessed each one to see if it was:

a) A digital device that controlled the function of the equipment vs. just logging or monitoring data from the equipment - such as temperature or pressure in a power plant valve or pipe. A control function would be an RTU that sends a signal to a control room device, which opens or closes valve. If the digital device controls function, it may stop delivery of its product if its not Y2K compliant.

b) If it was digital, did it contain a year-sensitive function, or just a smaller time period such a second, minute of hour.

c) If it did contain the date, was it Y2K year sensitive and did the company still need the function it provided. Lastly, if was renovated, should the equipment be replaced, microcode changed or should just the chip or card be replaced.

To date, we are done with our embedded system inventory and are about 98 percent done with assessment. We are now well along with remediation. We expect to be Y2K ready by June 30, 1999. The good news is that we found very few items that control equipment function. Why? Since we have been in business for many years, most function is electromechanical or analog, not digital. You find most digital equipment in monitoring functions, what we commonly call operator aids. If systems are renovated, we have and will test them, if possible. An alternative to testing is to have a component deemed Y2K compliant by the vendor through manufacturing process or tests.

Q2) The systems are tested, not certified.

Q3) The CE Annual Report, 10K and 10Q will mention the testing program for Y2K readiness, but won't give results.

I hope this was helpful,

Mike Spall, Media Relations

-- nyc (nycnyc@hotmail.com), March 21, 1999

Answers

nyc, I'm not one to comment on technical programming matters, but at least the response has a ring of honesty to it. That response would give me a little optimism. Most corporate responses I've seen are simply institutional-speak for "Go to Hell and take your annoying questions with you." Thanks for sharing this info.

-- Puddintame (dit@dot.com), March 21, 1999.

Wow! don't expect an of the hardcore "Genuinly Ignorant" to come stampeding to this thread... you might just get kicked out of the true believers club. YOU broke the cardinal rule...

"THOU SHALT BRING NO GOOD NEWS OF REMEDIATION"

I wonder when p-shooter or one of the other 'thought police' will show up to spi...er...editorialise this...?

-- Mutha Nachu (---@brightlycoloredneontetras.com), March 21, 1999.

@#$@^ archaic forum!

-- Mutha (---@nofreakinpreview.com), March 21, 1999.

That sounds like a good response.

I do hope they take more care with the embedded systems and don't rely on a manufacturer's okay.

-- Dean -- from (almost) Duh Moines (dtmiller@nevia.net), March 22, 1999.

You're right Mutha, It would be enertaining to see some more of the Doombrood come over and try to spin this bit of good news. Here, I'll start it off: "they're lying, the guy's in Media Relaitions, what, you trust the media now???!!! Spinspinspinspionspinspinspinaaaaaarrrrrggghhhhhhh!!!)

-- Moron Zinger (something.smells@round.here.com), March 22, 1999.

I'm personally very interested in what ConEd is up to, as they are my power company here in NYC.

Frankly, this isn't news, good or bad. And, it's what I would expect. 6.5 million lines of code, "several thousand" lines "windowed". 331 of 403 systems fixed, tested and put back to work. ConEd is among the oldest power companies in the country so naturally they've got one of the oldest infrastructures in the country. I guess there's something to be said for that.

So, I just wonder which systems are still left to be done. I wonder about interconnections with the rest of the power grid. I wonder about that big old Nuke plant on the Hudson River, that on a clear day you can see from the George Washington Bridge. I wonder how long they're going to take to do it all over again and fix all that "windowed" code. I wonder how many of the thousands of other plants around the country and in the rest of the world "expect to be Y2K ready by June 30, 1999."

I expect that certainly most of the big utilities and other big companies are pretty well along if not completely finished with remediation. However, it's a big world out there, and many smaller entities haven't even begun. Many nations are experiencing an economic crisis now, and don't have the resources to move at the pace that I would expect ConEd to move at. Ad Nauseum. We know all the arguments

In the past, I've been to Times Square to watch the ball drop. In my mind's eye, I've imagined it dropping on New Year's this year and all the juice stopping. But that's just a sick and twisted fantasy, I don't expect that to happen. Frankly, I wouldn't be surprised if they cancel the big party this year. Perception-wise anyway, it could be too much of a risk. But the party will probably go on, and people will probably go home afterwards, no problem. April of 2000, however, may be a different story once whole nations drop off the map and the global supply chain is broken and business failures in this country start to get out of hand. But, I wouldn't want to say much else here, for fear of washing anybody's brain.

Happy?

-- p-shooter (pshannon@inch.com), March 22, 1999.

Zinger, Mutha et al.

You guys (or is it singular) never seem to understand that Y2K realists have always expected the big corporate powers to get somewhere between 75 - 90% done. Its that last 10-25% thats going to choke them. Watch them waffle on the June 30 date and change it to Sept 30. Or don't you remember the famous mantra of "done by Dec 98 leaving all of 99 for testing"? Look back through old posts in 97 and see what the corps were saying then. Lastly, ConEd has used out of country (India mostly) off site remediation extensively. Lets just say the quality control issues are huge.

-- RD. ->H (drherr@erols.com), March 22, 1999.

You got it, RD. But, apparently, Muthas and Morons aren't willing to address this. It's simply insult and ignore...

-- p-shibboleth (pshannon@inch.com), March 23, 1999.