A s the millennium approaches, the so-called “millennium bug,” or Y2K problem as it’s more commonly known, is foremost in just about everyone’s mind. This is certainly true of executives in major companies, many of whom are dictating that IT funds between now and January 2000 be spent only on solving Y2K issues, ensuring that all hardware and software is ready to operate when the year 2000 arrives. The concern over this issue has, at least to some degree, been contributed to by the media, which has had a field day with Y2K, predicting Armageddon-like consequences such as airplanes that won’t fly, trains that won’t run, power that goes out and won’t come back up, bank accounts that can’t be accessed, and numerous other disasters.

T hose of us in the computer industry know that things aren’t nearly this bad, and are doing our best to quell the panic that seems to have set in some quarters. We know what actually has to be done. Solving the Y2K problem can be as simple as downloading or otherwise obtaining a few patches or upgrades, or as complex as examining hardware up close and personal and examining code line-by-line. In most sites, the problems have at least been isolated if not already solved, and events won’t come to “panic in the streets” at the turn of the century.

W e at Executive Software have made sure that, as far as our software is concerned, you will be unaffected by the arrival of January 1, 2000. Our OpenVMS products operate on standard date and time conventions on the OpenVMS operating system, which handles standard date and time functions with a 4-digit year field. These products have been tested in-house to ensure that they will operate flawlessly when the century turns, and beyond. For further information on our products and Y2K readiness, please see our Year 2000 Letter .

Diskeeper and I/O Express: Part of the Solution

N ow, what of the concern that Diskeeper and I/O Express, while certainly important to the operation of many OpenVMS sites, should be put aside as to upgrades and adding copies of the software for new machines until after the year 2000 has arrived?

W hile they don’t directly solve the Y2K problem, these products certainly make it far easier to implement Y2K solutions. Diskeeper handles the fragmentation problem so you don’t have to, removing a primary barrier to OpenVMS performance and maintaining the performance of your OpenVMS machines. I/O Express, through its “smart” data caching, increases performance and allows you to get more done with your OpenVMS systems.

W hile you may encounter any number of barriers to solving the Y2K problem for your site, performance should certainly not be one of them. With the performance headache out of the way and handling itself (remember, you just “Set It and Forget It”®), you can get on with solving any Y2K problems without worrying about performance.

D iskeeper and I/O Express are not only Y2K-compliant, they make implementing any other Y2K solution far easier. Order Diskeeper and I/O Express for all your OpenVMS systems today! Call +44 (0) . We have Site License discounts to assist you.