Media Release for OICY2KRAMP

SYDNEY 09:00 MONDAY 11 JANUARY 1999: How will a business know if its business trading partners have carried out a worthwhile Y2K checking and remediation program ?

There will be few if any business people who are unaware of the Year 2000 (Y2K) problem or Millennium Bug and its potential damage both to the business and the directors.

Senator Richard ALSTON Minister of Communications, Information Technology and the Arts has announced that there will be "Y2K Good Samaritan" legislation in the next session of Parliament. This legislation will limit the liability of Y2K failure for companies who carry out Y2K checking and remediation efforts. However what constitutes effective Y2K Checking and Remediation ?

Members of the OPEN INTERCHANGE CONSORTIUM (OIC)
formed a Research and Development team to:

  1. research a process to provide Y2K Due Diligence evidence

  2. evaluate different Y2K Checking and Remediation software packages listed on Standards Australia Y2K site

  3. specify and write a software product to record evidence that a Y2K check and remediation process has been followed

  4. test the methodology on several sites

This methodology is called the OIC Y2K Resource Asset Management Program (OICY2KRAMP). OICY2KRAMP will provide organisations with evidence for their trading partners to confirm that an appropriate check and remediation process has been followed properly.

There are 6 stages for authentication as part of the OICY2KRAMP Due Diligence process for desktop computer hardware and software. These stages are:

  1. Awareness of issue by nominating Y2K Project person

  2. Prepare plan to check computer systems and embedded chip functions

  3. Run Y2K checking software for H/W, S/W and User Data

  4. Develop Y2K Remediation process for H/W, S/W and User Data

  5. Confirm initial Y2K Due Diligence check completed

  6. Confirm on-going Y2K Due Diligence Checking and Remediation

This process includes the use of special software written to monitor Y2K checking and remediation. This software comprises a computerised asset register which logs 7 levels of Y2K checking by nominated Y2K software products. These levels are:

  1. Basic Input/Output System (BIOS) Hardware

  2. Real Time Clock (RTC) Hardware

  3. Operating System (O/S) Software

  4. Application Programs (A/P) Software

  5. User Data (U/D) User Data

  6. Network Data Exchange (NDE) User Data

  7. Macros (MAC) User Data

The members of the OICY2KRAMP Consortium are sharing this research with the business community by licencing the software product and consultancy services on a monthly basis.

Each month users of OICY2KRAMP will automatically send a file via the Internet to the OIC system which will validate the levels of Y2K Compliance for each system and record changes on a monthly basis particularly if new software is used and progress in the Remediation process.

The OIC has arranged public consultation and review meetings in Sydney on 19th and 20th January 1999. The issues for consultation include:

  1. Is there a need for Y2K Due Diligence organisations to register on a Web site ?

  2. Will organisations require a Y2K Due Diligence certificate ?

  3. Is OICY2KRAMP a suitable Due Diligence process for certification ?

OICY2KRAMP will assist organisations particularly Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) to provide evidence for their trading partners that an appropriate process for Y2K Checking and Remediation process has been established and maintained.

The OIC has scheduled a 3 month series of seminars, workshops and training programs around Australia. This programme will provide local support expertise for OICY2KRAMP users. The dates are:

Sydney Tue 19/01/99 Public Consultation & Review of
Wed 20/01/99 OICY2KRAMP Due Diligence process

Seminars Workshops Training
Sydney Tue 02/02/99 Tue 02/03/99 Tue 06/04/99
Melbourne Thu 04/02/99 Thu 04/03/99 Thu 08/04/99
Adelaide Tue 09/02/99 Tue 09/03/99 Tue 13/04/99
Perth Wed 10/02/99 Wed 10/03/99 Wed 14/04/99
Darwin Thu 11/02/99 Thu 11/03/99 Thu 15/04/99
Brisbane Tue 16/02/99 Tue 16/03/99 Thu 16/04/99

Registration for these events is via the Internet on http://www.oic.org/3b2kes1.htm

The OICY2KRAMP research team consider that there will be a number of project opportunities in User Data Remediation for information technology service organisations, the unemployed and people in the disabled community with access to the Web.

Further information is available at http://www.oic.org/3b2k.htm or from Stephen GOULD OIC Public Officer e-mail: OICY2KRAMP@oic.org or tel: (02) 9439-4688.