Germany - DOS software with continuous warranty

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Babelfish translation:

a hotel in Saxonia had to live two years with the Jahr-2000-Fehler, the law case however lost Siemens

Chemnitz. Y2K is snow from yesterday. In the software and computer industry long no more humans talk about Y2K, as the Jahr-2000-Fehler in the professional world was called. Only one hotel in the health resort Hartha at the Tharandter forest employed this problem until recently. Only since at the beginning of February runs in that hotel the computing technique again correctly perfectly. Well two years, after a small error brought the entire computer system to the hotel often commodity in the program to the deadlock.

Which like a bad joke sounds, are a true history, which did not only employ the Harthaer Parkhotel forestry house, but also the law as well as the Siemens AG. The reasons for this controversy go back however in the year 1996: In the January of the yearly the hotel with the Siemens AG closed a contract over the supply, assembly and line-up of a hotel computer system with all Drum and to. Hardware, a special hotel often commodity, telephone system and p.o.s. system. Approximately 100,000 Marks invested the hotel operators into the technique, concluded however no additional servicing contract, which would have caused again additional expenses. Die request of the hotel do not change nevertheless, which I need then a servicing contract, justify coworker Thomas Meier the decision.

The system functioned four years long. then went only once nothing more. On 1 January 2000 the computing technique was in the park hotel. it was not year 2000 able. The hotel often commodity was in such a way programmed that they detect the last two places during the date processing only and interpreted the new year as 1900. The consequence of the programming error: Calculations of the hotelgaeste had to be arranged starting from the New Year's Day 2000 by hand, telephone calls from the rooms could not be entered.

Attempts, the EDP by the Aufspielen of current program versions again for running to wars, failed. Because the software originally purchased by the hotel was on at the time at that time usual computers of the 486- Generation also 16 MB workspaces and DOS operating system installed. The program update however gave long only as substantially the more extensive Windows version. But but the computer system was too lame. the computer capacity was not enough.

Siemens has then required that the hotel operators buy new hardware, remembers the Chemnitzer attorney Peter Lipp, who represented the park hotel before the regional court Dresden. And there the complaining hotel got also right. With a PC system in the value of almost 100,000 Marks with it that this runs also four years later still, found the court is to be gone out and rejected thereby also a request the Siemens AG. Additionally those held out, it to the hotel without the servicing contract do has might and is not even responsible for the misery, because it had not bought the necessary new PC technique.

The regional court against it saw it as proven on the fact that the system was afflicted with a lack already because of the Jahr-2000-Fehlers with the sales 1996 and thundered the company to a payment of well 40,000 Marks because of arglistigen of concealing the missing Jahr-2000- Faehigkeit. In the opinion of the court the problem is in the industry since 1995 at least admits been, and a world-wide active enterprise such as Siemens to know had. A judgement, which likewise the higher regional court in the appointment procedure followed later, and which according to law book a simple consequence has: The warranty claims fall under the statute of limitations only after 30 years.

Freie Presse

-- Anonymous, February 27, 2002


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