Where the problem arises is when the computer tries to compare dates from 1999 and earlier with dates of 2000 and greater. With only the last two digits to compare, the computer program considers the year “00” to be earlier than the year “99” because “00” is less than “99”. In other words, when 12/31/99 rolls over to 01/01/00, computers will interpret 00 as 1900 rather than 2000.

Difficulty occurs when you are trying to age information. The items before January 1, 2000 will always appear to be current items. When you look at account activity, the new millennium data looks to be the oldest. When you print in chronological order, you will notice items may not be in sequence.

Some systems will experience a problem when subtraction of the years results in a negative number that the program can’t handle, and others may even have trouble with the year 1999, because 99 is often used as a default to indicate “never”.

Both hardware and software can be affected by Y2K issues. Some companies are choosing to install new equipment and programs, and others are repairing the ones they already have. Y2K solutions are as individual as the companies that choose them.

How can Small Systems, Inc. help?

We can …

• Determine whether your system is Y2K compliant
• Make recommendations for any problems we uncover
• Correct situations before they impact your business