Heads up all you reporter types! Link <:)=

News/Assignment Editors & Y2K Writers

ADVISORY...for Wednesday (Sept. 22)

--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

MEDIA ADVISORY -- AUDIO MEDIA BRIEFING - 100 DAYS TO THE MILLENNIUM AND COUNTING - I.T. PRIORITIES POST-Y2K

WHAT: Case studies: Discuss the Year 2000 computer challenge -- and post-Y2K priorities -- with top IT executives from:

financial services - insurance - manufacturing New research: Release survey results of major corporations' Y2K readiness and their post-Year 2000 priorities

How Y2K-ready is Corporate America? - What are major firms' priorities for the final 100 days? - What are leading firms' I.T. priorities after Year 2000? WHO: Top I.T. executives from:

Monsanto: Based in St. Louis, one of the world's largest chemical companies

Household International: Chicago-based, Fortune 500 provider of consumer loans and credit cards

Trigon: Virginia's largest managed health care company

Cap Gemini America: Jim Woodward, Sr. Vice President

Rubin Systems, Inc: Dr. Howard Rubin

WHEN: WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 1999, 11:00 AM (ET)

CALL-IN Call 1-800-230-1951 to participate NUMBER: Media material will be distributed by fax/email on September 21

Cap Gemini America, Inc. is an information technology and management consulting firm with 4,500 employees at 35 locations throughout the United States. A market leader in Year 2000 services, its Year 2000 clients represent diverse major industries, including financial services, telecommunications, banking, insurance, manufacturing, utilities, healthcare, and government. Based in New York, Cap Gemini America is a member of the Cap Gemini Group, one of the largest computer services and business consulting companies in the world.

If you plan to call in, please call ahead to obtain media kit for the audio media briefing.

--30--flb/ny*

CONTACT: M. Booth & Associates, New York

212/481-7000

Steve Vitoff x137

Kurt Rossler x143

-- Sysman (y2kboard@yahoo.com), September 15, 1999

Answers

This is interesting, considering the following story is apparently just now being picked up by some of the trade press:

(Snip)

09/13/1999 Page 16

SURVEY SHOWS MANY SYSTEMS STILL AREN'T PREPARED FOR Y2K

By: ELIZABETH LINDSEY Crain News Service

A survey of major U.S. companies and some federal, state and local government agencies shows only 48% of those entities expect all their critical systems to be Y2K-compliant by the year 2000. The study, sponsored by Cap Gemini America of New York and conducted by Rubin Systems Inc. of Pound Ridge, N.Y., defined a critical system as one an organization needs to operate, such as billing or order-taking. Responding to the survey were 144 mostly Fortune 500 U.S. companies and 17 government agencies. Among those respondents who don't expect to be fully Y2K-compliant, 36% said three-fourths to almost all their critical systems will be tested and compliant by Dec. 31. But 18% think 75% or fewer of their systems will be ready. Though almost half expect critical systems to be compliant by Dec. 31, 99% anticipate a rise in systems failures during the rest of 1999 and in the future. Already, 75% of the respondents have experienced Y2K-related errors. Of those that have experienced failures, 92% said they involved financial miscalculations, some caught and some resulting in financial losses. Another 84% identified processing disruptions, 38% wrestled with customer service problems, and 34% juggled logistics or supply chain problems. Also, 2% reported problems that caused business to stop for an extended period of time. At present, 81% of the respondents report missing Y2K deadlines. That figure is down from the 92% who reported missed deadlines last May and last December. These missed deadlines illustrate how important Y2K readiness is becoming as Dec. 31 comes closer, and managers are taking note. According to the survey, 96% of respondents will have a crisis center solely for handling potential Y2K problems. Furthermore, the percentage of top managers personally leading their crisis management centers has risen to 84% from 62% in May. In addition to developing crisis centers to help solve their Y2K problems, businesses are investigating whether their suppliers are compliant. The percentage of corporations that listed themselves as potentially likely or very likely to stop dealing with non-Y2K-compliant suppliers of goods and services rose to 92% from 87% over the last quarter. For a copy of the Year 2000 Readiness Survey, call Cap Gemini America at 212-481-7000. (Elizabeth Lindsey is a reporter at Business Insurance, a sister publication of Crain's Cleveland Business.)

-- FM (vidprof@aol.com), September 15, 1999.