+---+ | Y | +---+ YEAR2000 CHALLENGE The potential problems and its variations that might be encountered in any level of computer hardware or software from microcode to application programs, files, and databases that need to correctly interpret year-date data represented in 2-digit-year format caused by the transition to the year 2000. (IBM) YEAR 2000 COMPLIANT (1) can be stated as the attribute of a computer-based system to operate correctly, unambiguously and acceptably in storing, collating (sorting), displaying, and calculating date information within reasonable System and User date ranges. including leap years according to the Gregorian calendar, in a form compatible with the full ISO8601 YYYY-MM-DD form, with default installation values and error checking to specifically exclude User error, before and after the Year 2000. Acceptability Index 0 is defined as "Year 2000 Compliant". (Cinderella) (2) Technology, including but not limited to, information technology, embedded systems, or any other electro-mechanical or processor-based system, when used in accordance with its associated documentation, is capable of accurately processing, providing, and/or receiving date data from, into, and between the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, and the years 1999 and 2000, including leap year calculations; provided that all other technology properly exchanges date data with it. (IEEE) YEAR 2000 READY (1) can be stated as the attribute of a computer-based system to operate correctly and acceptably in storing, collating (sorting) and calculating dates, but where the strict "compliance" rules for display or input are relaxed to allow two digit year usage or allow ambiguity, on a descending scale of Acceptability from 2 to 8, or where User procedural action or Setup is required to allow correct operation. (Cinderella) (2) The capability of a Product, when used in accordance with its associated documentation, to correctly process, provide and/or receive date data within and between the 20th and 21st centuries, provided that all products (for example, hardware, software, and firmware) used with the Product properly exchange accurate date data with it. (IBM) (3) An organisation is Year 2000 Compliant if the performance of its systems is unaffected by dates before, during and after the year 2000. YEAR2000 SUPPORT. The ability to provide YEAR2000 READINESS. (IBM) YEAR2000 TRANSITION. The process of revising systems and databases) to correctly process date data both within and between the 20th and 21st centuries. (IBM) Y2K or Year 2000 PROBLEM (Capital Y) "pertaining to computer-related issues involving the year 2000 transition or operation before the year 2000 or thereafter. (IEEE) The Year 2000 appears to be a simple problem that is intuitively understood. But when examined closely, the solutions are varied and complex in nature. The essence of this problem is the representation of the year as a two-digit number within computer systems and other technologies. This representation may cause malfunctions to occur when a system date or application date crosses the year 2000 (whether that is the actual arrival of the date or for date processing purposes) or when the system or application must reach back into the 20th century after January 1, 2000. These malfunctions can include: * Arithmetic calculations, * Comparisons * Sorting or sequencing * Incorrect recognition of leap years * Conflict with "00" and "99" as values designated with meanings unrelated to date data * Rolling over of system date data, filling up storage registers * Failure of one or more system elements Among the environments in which mission-critical applications may be affected by Year 2000 issues include: * Bio-medical * Telecommunications/transportation * Finance/Banking * Aviation/Aerospace * National security/law enforcement Many organizations are in various stages of addressing this problem. Some are just beginning to assess the impact on their own information technology (IT) environments. Others have already begun to implement solutions. The rising need for solutions has created a market environment wherein there are a growing number of organizations offering such solutions. These organizations have also created a diverse set of terms. Many of the terms are similar on their face but have multiple meanings within differing environments, bringing potential for confusion to what should be a simply understood problem. (IEEE) By now it is common knowledge that millions of software applications may stop running or start producing incorrect results when the year 1999 changes to the year 2000. For many years software applications routinely used two digits for date storage, and the sequence of 99 followed by 00 is devastating to all time-based calculations. The most obvious way of solving the year 2000 problem has been to revise and update software applications so that dates are stored in four-digit formats rather than two-digit formats; i.e. calendar year 2000 would no longer be stored as 00 but in the true four-digit form. While changing the dates in any single application is a task that is only moderately difficult, the year 2000 problem is turning out to be a nightmare for the entire software industry and perhaps the largest business expense in human history. The reason for this is because the year 2000 problem affects almost every existing software application in the world, and there are millions of them. (CJ) Y2K LIFE CYCLE A conversion model comprised of five phases each representing a major Y2K activity. Both the private and public sectors have used this model in addressing their respective Y2K issues. The five phases are described below: * Awareness: define the year 2000 problem and gain executive level support and sponsorship * Assessment (inventory): Evaluate the year 2000 impact on the enterprise; develop contingency plans to handle data exchange issues and system failures (dysfunction or system crashes); triage (prioritize) systems by identifying those that are mission critical. * Remediation (renovation): convert, replace, or eliminate one or more system elements ; modify interfaces * Validation (audit): test, certify and validate converted or replaced one or more system elements * Implementation: Place into production converted or replaced one or more system elements. (IEEE) YY FORMAT. Synonymous with 2-DIGIT-YEAR FORMAT. (IBM) YYYY FORMAT. Synonymous with 4-DIGIT-YEAR FORMAT and a subset of CCYY FORMAT. (IBM)