by Tito Bautista
Concepts Managing Group, Inc.

Most of us are familiar with doomsday predictions of a "Y2K" crisis caused when computers are unable to roll-over the date into the year 2000 at the end of this year. However, experts say that few computer owners are taking the necessary steps in the meantime to resolve Y2K issues for the computers they depend on at home and at work.

Concepts Managing Group, Inc. (CMG) is on a mission to reach owners of computers in homes and small to mid-sized businesses. According to the Long Branch-based consulting firm, the majority are unaware of their computers’ Y2K status, and are surprised to learn that, for the most part, they are expected to seek out solutions on their own.

Tito Bautista, CMG president, explained, "Y2K problems can exist anywhere in a computer, from hardware and operating systems to software, so checking for Y2K compliance means dealing with multiple companies. Manufacturers may offer Y2K upgrades, but they usually require customers to contact them first."

"It is even more of a problem if your computer was purchased from a company that no longer exists, or if your business is using a customized software that doesn't have a standard 'service patch' to bring programs into Y2K compliance," he said.

Computers that are not Y2K compliant store only the last two digits of the year, automatically inserting "19" for the first two digits, an incorrect assumption for years 2000 and beyond. Owners of non-compliant computer systems risk problems with programs that make calculations based on dates, such as financial and accounting software. In some cases, accounts receivable, payable, inventory and payroll information may be lost or worse, the non-compliant software and/or hardware may cause the computer to "crash" when the year changes.

Bautista, whose firm specializes in Y2K compliance issues, cautioned against "home remedy" approaches, such as setting the computer’s clock ahead to the year 2000 to see what happens. This may activate a Y2K Virus that is programmed for January 1, 2000 to fragment everything on your computer’s hard drive. The results are also inconclusive," he advised, "since this kind of test doesn’t check for all Y2K problems in software."

To help computer owners, CMG Inc. offers a free program that will check the Y2K status of their hardware and software. The firm also distributes "Bug Doctor 2000" software, which uses the same artificial intelligence developed to bring corporate systems into Y2K compliance. Bautista stated, "Our clients are thrilled that they can still use their current computers by letting Bug Doctor 2000 solve their Y2K compliance needs, with minimal disruption and cost."

For more information about the Bug Doctor 2000 software and CMG’s free Y2K compliance checking program, go to www.cmgsystems.com or send an e-mail to requests@cmgsystems.com.