This Workbench sponsored by the DIGITAL Year 2000 System Healthcheck

				1998 budgets reflect IT's new entrepreneurial spirit A healthy economy and generous budgets are helping IT executives sharpen their focus on the bottom line. By Deborah Asbrand Joyce Becknell, Cahners In-Stat Group NT 5.0 steps out and trips over Y2K Microsoft's new OS may have to bide its time for a while as IT departments deal with the Y2K cruch time. By Teri Robinson Brad Pence, manager of nuclear process computing services for Omaha Public Power District with Jim Sojka, another member of the Y2K Core Team. The world's biggest Easter egg hunt The specter of Year 2000 problems in millions of embedded systems--from telephones to time clocks to security systems--looms large on the millennial horizon. In partnership with their facilities management colleagues, IT managers must identify and triage these systems now. By Lauren Gibbons Paul eight end AT&T's Y2K expert John Pasqua When Y2K failure isn't an option Contingency planning for Year 2000 remediation isn't rocket science. But the overall effort still lacks good prediction models for systems vulnerable to Y2K-related failures. By Karen Watterson Year 2000 Resources Disaster plan lessons learned Wide range of Y2K spending Download Y2K test specs Probabilities of Y2K disasters Y2K books Boston Mutual's Paul Petry, left, and Vincent Lioce Year 2000 conversion: Been there, done that Being a front-runner has its privileges. For Boston Mutual, taming the Y2K beast early means the company is now free to focus on profitable projects. By Lauren Gibbons Paul Who will pay for Year 2000 fixes? It's an issue so cloaked in secrecy that almost no one but attorneys -- who stand to make money on the problem -- will talk about it on the record. By Elaine L. Appleton Year 2000: What's the real cost? U.S. organizations will spend $71 billion to make their applications Year 2000 compliant. And that figure doesn't include database repairs, hardware upgrades, or fixes to test libraries. What will the total bill for your IS shop be? By Capers Jones				Year 2000: The domino effect So you've got your Year 2000 project under control. But what about your suppliers, partners, and the other companies you depend on? If they don't have their Y2K act together, they could take you down with them. By C. Lawrence Meador and Leland G. Freeman Pick a portfolio and a partner You'll need more than one Year 2000 tool to tame your Year 2000 challenges. And plan to work closely with the vendors you pick. By C. Lawrence Meador and Leland G. Freeman Blue Cross/Blue Shield saves big bucks in Year 2000 project In the face of compliance costs estimated to be between $30 million and $50 million, Blue Cross/Blue Shield of South Carolina designed and implemented a way to save the day while also saving a bundle. By Richard W. Warner, PH.D Panic in the year zero With less than two years to the year 2000, here are 10 tips to navigate the fine line between "Introduction to Urgency" and "Panic 101." By John Kador

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