With the challenges of Y2K readiness within local government fast reaching crisis proportions, leading IT services and solution provider in the government sector, ICL South Africa, has proposed what it believes is a workable solution to the immediate problem - and that`s the development of a large, nationwide Y2K Bureau.
The ICL proposal follows Ministry of Telecommunications and Broadcasting reports of serious concern over the readiness of many local authorities to achieve Y2K compliance before the millennium bug strikes, with disastrous consequences for millions of people across the country.
ICL SA`s marketing director, Ntsundeni Madzunya, said the proposal involves the establishment of a PROMIS bureau and an ABAKUS bureau, both equipped to allow floundering local authorities to make use of these facilities until they are within the year 2000 or their systems are operating and certified Y2K compatible.
"We are well aware of the potential problems at some local authorities, and believe a bureau is a workable, short-term solution that will, at the very least, avert the predicted Y2K bombshell," explains Madzunya.
He adds that ICL SA is geared and in a position to oversee such a project, which would require the assistance and commitment of other IT players and government itself. He points to the UK as an example of where a ground-breaking ICL-led initiative, 2000+Pledge, was established to successfully unite UK industries against the millennium bug and tackle Y2K challenges through co-operation and a policy of openness.
ICL SA`s commitment to long-standing partnerships with local government will ensure that ICL SA does not leave local authorities stranded in a sea of Y2K problems.
"Internationally, ICL is renowned for solutions in the government sector, and we have expertise which we can call upon to assist and contribute to problem-solving in any country. We are confident of our capacity to assist local authorities to assess their Y2K readiness and to offer working solutions for those authorities who require these," he stresses.
ICL has recently concluded several significant IT contracts with local authorities from Cape Town to King Williamstown, and on to Rustenburg, Randfontein and Benoni, all of whom chose ICL because of the Y2K readiness of the solution provided.
ICL SA`s Year 2000 programme director, Peter Michaelides adds, "we have been pro-active in assisting local authorities utilising our PROMIS and ABAKUS solutions with Y2K queries. Where necessary, we have been auditing hardware and software within local authorities to ascertain Y2K compatibility. As such, we can safely state that all versions of ABAKUS from 5.0 onwards, all versions of PROMIS Expenditure from version 5.0 and PROMIS Income 5.1 (for release next month) are compliant with Y2K requirements.
"Regarding ABAKUS, providing the operating system is compliant, (MF COBOL 4.1 and later versions, Unixware 7+ and SCOUnix Openserver 5.05 with supplement and later versions) the local authority can be fairly confident that its IT system will be Y2K compliant."
ICL is positioning itself to play a major role in the South African IT environment, while making the necessary internal changes to be more representative of the entire South African demographic landscape. Last year, Thebe increased its shareholding in ICL SA to 40%, a major vote of confidence in the capabilities and offerings of the company. ICL is also firmly committed to the development of SMMEs to service the needs of its business partner base.
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