STORY:
Big Canadian Firms Expect To Be Y2K-Ready

Reuters is reporting that almost every big Canadian business expects its computer systems to be ready for the year 2000.

Of the 1,600 companies with more than 250 employees surveyed by Statistics Canada, 99.5 percent said their computers would be equipped to handle the critical date change, the federal government agency said.

The story says some 18 percent of large firms expect to have all key computer systems ready for 2000 by the end of this April. This should rise to 52 percent before July and by the end of October, 92 percent should be ready.

Public sector organizations are laying the groundwork for Y2K as well, StatsCan said. Police services were expected to have critical systems primed for 2000 in 92 percent of Canada's large municipalities -- where nearly two-thirds of Canadians live -- by October.

Ambulance and fire services in 94 percent of large municipalities will be ready by October.

The reports says small and medium-sized business were taking steps to address the issue as well with 87 percent of firms employing between six and 50 workers and 98 percent of mid-level companies saying they have begun preparation.

StatsCan said that companies in the air transportation, finance, insurance, energy, manufacturing and distribution, electricity and communications sectors are further ahead in their spadework than hospitals, care homes and primary sector firms which are expected to be slower off the mark.

StatsCan said about 21 percent of small businesses in the primary sector with critical computer systems had taken no action while one-fifth of large companies surveyed said they would not finish testing their critical systems before September.

Source: Reuters

DATE: 4/28/99

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