[1] Home appliances are not vulnerable to y2k problems.(2) Consumer electronic goods
[2] Some home appliances possess timer controls and other time management functions, but these only handle relative time in 24 hour units (for example, setting the time of operation four hours later than the present time). It has been confirmed that none of these devices handle dates containing year numbers.
[1] The only consumer electronic goods types which handle date-related data including year numbers are video cassette recorders, televisions and camcorders. In a survey of 20 manufacturers of such products, less than 5% of the products from only four of the manufacturers risked potential y2k-related problems.(3) Facsimile machines
[2] Among televisions and video cassette recorders, problems such as inability to record using G-code reservation functions and incorrect display of days of the week could occur. These problems can be prevented by using manual settings for recording and resetting the day of the week.
[3] The potential problem with camcorders is that they could display 3/1 at the day of 2/29, failing to recognize the leap year. In this case recordings on the 29th February should be made without displaying the date and time and the date should be corrected on the next day.
[4] Of the four companies with potentially affected products, three have already published relevant information on their home pages and set up a reception for related enquiries. The other company will take such measures within April.
[1] Of 24 manufacturers of facsimile machines, two are still conducting investigations and 11 had products vulnerable to y2k-related problems, such as incorrect displays. The affected products were mainly manufactured in 1996~1997 and earlier.
[2] The potential problems are as follows:
(i) The date will appear incorrectly on the main unit's display panel, on the sender information which appears on faxed documents, and on the transmission management reports.
(ii) Most machines will not suffer any problems with basic transmission functions due to errors in day and leap year displays.
(iii) However, when an operation preset for a certain time is to occur on the other side of the 2000 changeover, some problems may occur in the time of transmission.
(iv) If an affected facsimile machine is waiting to retry transmission of a document when the year changes to 2000, problems may arise, including failure to retry transmission. The machine will return to normal condition in 2000.
[3] To remedy these problems, inaccurate date display on the display panel of the machine can be reset by the user. In some very rare cases, some models may require ROM replacement.
[4] All the manufacturers concerned have already published information on their home pages on remedial methods. Where users are known individually, they have been notified directly.
[1] Of 38 manufacturers of telephones for home use, three are still conducting investigations and all others have finished checking their products for potential y2k problems. All these manufacturers report that none of their products are at risk.(2) Telephone services
[2] Of 40 manufacturers of cellular and PHS telephones and pagers, three are still conducting investigations and all others have finished checking their products for potential y2k problems. One company reports that its pagers will be unable to recognize the leap year and will suffer display problems as a result. However, this problem can be remedied by a manual reset by the user.
[1] In March 1999 an average of 69% of major telecommunications carriers had completed simulation tests for y2k compliance in their major communications systems such as telephone and leased lines. By the end of June the figure is scheduled to rise to 99%. NTT, the largest carrier, has already changed all its switch and customer management systems to four-digit year handling. It states that it will make all equipment, including peripheral equipment, fully compliant by June.
[2] All carriers have begun devising crisis management systems to cope with any unanticipated complications.
[1] In personal computer hardware, calendar year data is managed by the BIOS, which is the basic software that manages inputs and outputs. If the BIOS used cannot handle the year 2000, it will be unable to roll over automatically from 31st December 1999 to 1st January 2000. The date will have to be manually reset in such cases.(2) Operating Systems (OS)
[2] In models shipped in recent years (mainly since 1996~1997), the BIOS will be y2k compliant and no y2k problems will occur. Models shipped before that time will not be able to roll over automatically to 2000, but for most it will be a simple operation to enable them to handle the year 2000.
For example, when booting up a computer for the first time in 2000, the user can follow the instructions in the manual to set the date manually to enable the computer to handle the year 2000. Some manufacturers supply correction programs on their home pages.
[3] The compliance of each individual model can be checked from information provided by the manufacturers through their home pages and other channels.
- The operating system (OS) which manages the operation of a personal computer uses the output from the BIOS in its date-related functions. Therefore the y2k compliance of the OS depends on that of the BIOS. A compliant BIOS produces a compliant OS.
(3) Application software[1] Personal computer application software such as word processors and spreadsheets are, as a rule, compliant in the latest versions of packages with large numbers of users. However, there are many manufacturers, and there is the possibility of minor problems in date display and other aspects even in commonly-used software, depending on the version and operating environment. Therefore it is highly important to confirm the manufacturer's compliance for each product.
[2] Even if there is a problem, it can be easily remedied by using a different input method or running a correction utility provided by the manufacturer.
(1) Automobiles themselves
According to a survey conducted in December 1998, all automobile manufacturers state that their products face no y2k problems. A final recheck for confirmation is now under way and each manufacturer will publish its findings.
[1] Apart from the y2k problem, car navigation systems face another problem unique to the Global Positioning System (GPS). The week number data included in the signals broadcast from the satellites (in which the week beginning 6th January 1980 was set as week zero and each week is consecutively numbered thereafter) is a ten-bit digital signal. This means that the signal must roll over to zero by week number 1,024 (the week of 22nd August 1999). This change may cause problems in some products.(3) Traffic signals
[2] In a survey of 18 manufacturers, twelve replied that none of their products would experience any problems, and seven were providing information over the Internet. Four manufacturers were still conducting investigations and two replied that some of their products would suffer problems.
[3] The anticipated problem was that the rollover in the GPS signal would render some products unable to start on 22nd August and thereafter (or startup may take more time).
[4] These companies are notifying their users directly, where they are identifiable. In addition, they offer information on their products to the general public through the Internet and other channels.
[1] Traffic signals have built in calendar functions for around thirty years, and most will suffer no problems in 2000. However, some old types will require ROM replacement.(4) Fire engines and ambulances
[2] By September, over 93% of traffic signals connected to traffic control centers will have been corrected, with the remainder to be corrected within the year. It is anticipated that dry-run tests will also be completed.
[3] Traffic signals are equipped with safety functions to ensure that all directions at an intersection cannot be green simultaneously. This means there is no possibility of head-on collisions due to traffic signal malfunctions. Pedestrian crossing signals are designed with the same safety function which means the car traffic lights will never allow vehicles to move forward onto a crossing while the pedestrians have the green light to cross.
[1] A fact-finding survey of all fire defense headquarters nationwide (917 fire defense headquarters) conducted in March found that of the 41 fire defense headquarters owning pumpers with aerial ladder and chemical fire tracks etc. with advanced computer-controlled functions, 90% had either found that no remedial measures were required, or had already completed such measures. The same was also true of 90% of the 410 fire defense headquarters which owned defibrillators and similar emergency equipment, and of 72% of the 18 fire defense headquarters which owned rescue equipment such as electromagnetic scanners.
[2] Those fire defense headquarters which had not completed checks responded that they were taking remedial measures, had completed plans for the implementation of such measures, or were at the stage of investigation and deliberation. As a result, no problems are anticipated in fire-fighting and emergency operations.
[1] Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) used for withdrawal of deposits provide their services through cooperation between financial institutions and between businesses. Each business has a network to make this cooperation possible, and these networks are linked via relay centers in each network. Therefore measures for y2k compliance are necessarily for each of the following:
(i) Each financial institution.
(ii) Each business network.
(iii) The links between each business network.
[2] Tests of connections within the ATM networks will be conducted with the participation of the entire network in mid-April and early May. These tests will confirm whether the remedial measures taken to date will enable all ATMs to function normally in 2000 and beyond.
[3] Each ATM network will adopt a crisis management plan by June to cope with any unanticipated problems.
[1] In Japan the period of validity of a credit card may be as long as five years. As a result, the credit card companies began to take measures from around 1994 to counter problems in reading credit cards with periods of validity extending beyond 2000. By June 1996 measures such as changing card reading terminals in stores were completed and cards with validity beyond 2000 began to be issued in 1998. No significant problems have been reported to date.
[2] The credit card companies expect to complete all measures, including corrections to their internal systems and tests of their connections with external networks, by the end of September.
[1] Elevator manufacturers have confirmed that the y2k bug will cause no problems in control of the operation of their products. However, where dates appear on information displays in elevator halls and on monitoring panels, the year may be showned as 1900. Even if this happens, it has been confirmed that there will be no influence on the operation of the elevators themselves and the display problem can be corrected by resetting the year.
[2] Under individual installations, or in grouped systems where two or three elevators are managed together, no dates are used in operation management and no y2k problems will arise.
[3] In the group control systems which manage the operation of 3~8 elevators together, operation control uses days of the week (not year/ month/ date data), time (on a 24-hour cycle) and usage frequency (usage frequency in time bands for each day of the week). Therefore the y2k bug will cause no problems in the operation of these systems.
[1] As of the end of March, the simulation tests progress rate of important control systems (the average of simulation tests completion rate of each company) is 85%, and will reach 95% by June, 98% by September and all will be completed by November.
[2] Regarding the important control systems:
(i) It is confirmed that there will be no possibility that supply failures and safety problems such as power outages or voltage abnormalities would occur because the systems controlling supply of real time electricity including embedded micro-chips do not use date-related data.
(ii) Y2K conversion is necessary for computer control systems monitoring or recording and will be completed according to the above-mentioned schedule.
[3] Each of them is providing detailed information such as the state of progress in each power station over the Internet and through other channels.
[4] Each of them is ready to handle emergencies such as natural disasters at any time. For the Y2K problem, each of them will formulate its contingency plan to ensure full readiness by June.
[1] As of the end of March 1999, the simulation tests progress rate of important control systems among major city gas companies (the average of simulation tests completion rate of each company) is 83%, and almost all will be completed by June except a portion of some systems which require hardware replacements in September.
[2] Regarding the important control systems:
(i) It is confirmed that there will be no possibility that supply failures and safety problems would occur because the systems controlling gas production and supply including embedded microchips do not use date-related data.
(ii) Y2K conversion is necessary for computer control systems monitoring or recording and will be completed according to the above-mentioned schedule.
[3] The information such as its progress towards y2k are being provided over the Internet and through other channels.
[4] Each of them is ready to handle emergencies such as natural disasters at any time. For the Y2K problem, each of them will formulate its contingency plan to ensure full readiness by June.
[1] Core facilities for drinking water supply, such as drinking water treatment plants and distribution systems use computers for the automatic control of chlorine injection volumes in response to the quality of source water and of the volume of drinking water supplied in response to the volume of water drawn from the plants.
[2] In most cases these computer operations do not use dates in their management. Therefore there will be no water stoppages or other water supply problems. Even in the unlikely event that some facilities stop running, they can easily be switched over to manual operation and no problems would result.
[3] In order to ensure complete y2k compliance, all water suppliers in Japan will find and correct all problems by June. In addition they have begun preparing contingency plans to guard against unanticipated difficulties.
[1] Chain retailers such as general supermarkets and convenience stores use Point Of Sale (POS) and Electronic Ordering System (EOS) systems in order to handle large volumes of foodstuffs. These retailers are working rapidly to adjust these systems and to prepare crisis management manuals.
The major general supermarkets and convenience stores report that they have made their internal systems, including those for handling credit cards, fully compliant, or they will have largely done so by summer. From now, each company will explain the situation to all of their trading partners. They are expected to complete data transfer tests with trading partners by fall.
[2] Few general retailers, such as greengrocers and fishmongers, use POS and EOS systems. Therefore the impact of the y2k bug is expected to be light.