http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/991228/ct_gartner_1.html

-- ll (D@a.c), December 28, 1999

Answers

Hey, I've noticed the regulars have stopped posting here. Where have you all gone? We need to update our predictions list.

Doug

-- Doug (Doug@itsover.com), December 28, 1999.

Tuesday December 28, 1:03 pm Eastern Time

Company Press Release

GartnerGroup Y2K Weekend Forecast: Look for Isolated Failures and Few Interruptions to the General Public

Companies and Governments Have Fixed Most Y2K Bugs

STAMFORD, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 28, 1999--GartnerGroup predicted in July 1997 that addressing the Year 2000 (Y2K) date change could cost industries and governments an estimated $300 billion to $600 billion worldwide.

As a result of these vast global investments dedicated to solving Y2K challenges, GartnerGroup's forecast for the actual New Year's weekend indicates there will be isolated failures and few interruptions to the general public in the United States. GartnerGroup analysts offer the following insight:

Fewer than 10 percent of all Y2K-related failures will occur during the two weeks surrounding January 1, 2000. Worldwide IT is a $2 trillion industry. The majority of large organizations have spent at least 10 percent of their IT budgets in 1998 and 1999 on Y2K remediation and testing. This figure alone indicates that the overall remediation costs are within the original GartnerGroup estimate of $300 billion to $600 billion worldwide. Increased awareness has led to more thorough contingency planning in areas where failures may occur. A few isolated problems are likely to occur related to the general public, with government services being the highest risk area. Most system failures will occur on back-end systems inside companies and should not impact the general public. Most public-use utilities will experience very few interruptions in service. Most companies will be in virus-alert mode over the boundary weekend.

As the clock strikes midnight in time zones around the globe, IT professionals at government locations and corporate headquarters will be watching and testing their systems. According to GartnerGroup, back-end glitches will most likely not be reported beyond each organization. Apparent failures such as possible local power outages and poor Web site performances should be short-lived.

``There has been an enormous demonstration of global teamwork in investing and executing these absolutely necessary Y2K computer fixes,'' said Matthew Hotle, Vice President, GartnerGroup Year 2000 Research. ``Thanks to the work of tens of thousands of computer professionals who have made billions of lines of code ready for the Year 2000, we're forecasting a relatively quiet weekend with isolated problems.''

Hotle continued, ``Still, CEOs and government officials must bring their beepers and phones with them New Year's Eve to stay in touch with their technology teams as they pass through the Year 2000 boundary.''

-- (@ .), December 28, 1999.

we have taken our money and running before the sh## hits the fan and our customers find out every thing isn't fixed.

-- gartner biz (rip@off.com), December 28, 1999.

Acually, this is nothing new for them. Take a look at their graph for Y2K related failures that they published in March. It has the exact same numbers given in this press release. However, they estimate that 55% of Y2K related failures will occur AFTER Jan 1st, and 20% of the total failures will occur in 2001. I haven't heard them change this position (yet).

Sam

-- Sam Walker (swalker2000@earthlink.net), December 28, 1999.

Yes, the Gartner Group has been pretty polly all along -bought and paid for. I have found more realistic information from Capers Jones group - see old Senate Hearings. If anyone would like URL, I'll look it up.

-- Sheri (wncy2k@nccn.net), December 28, 1999.

Doug:

You're right where has everyone gone? Have you people setup a hidden place for you all to meet during the rollover or is everybody just tired of posting now?

-- Interested Spectator (is@the_ring.side), December 28, 1999.