The Russian may be confident about compliance with Y2K, but Western observers are not.

Published: 6/24/1999

In a report in the New York Times, on June 23rd 1999, the problems of Russia's Year 2000 compliance problems have again been highlighted. While the government claims that it is renovating the only two major air-traffic-control centres that depend on digital computers, in Moscow and Rostov-on-Don, it appears that most aviation companies have computer problems. The International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) is currently asking the Russian airlines and plane manufacturers for information on their preventive measures. In the meantime, Russian insurance companies have raised the rates charged to airline companies in anticipation of Year 2000 risks. The Gartner Group, a firm of consultants, ranks Russia among the worst prepared nations for the Year 2000 transition. It predicts a month of turmoil in Russian financial markets, two months for utilities and hospitals, and three months for transportation and telecommunications. The report also observed that many of Russia's civic leaders were quite unaware of the problems confronting their computer systems.

Article ID: 622