Date Processing
The Year 2000 or "Y2k" problem is caused by the way computer systems read and process dates.

Two-Digit Date Fields
Because we all know what century this is, we often abbreviate years to two numbers. For example, December 31, 1999 can also be written as 12/31/99. For many years, when disk space was much more expensive and less plentiful than it is today, computer programmers sought any way of saving space in their code. For that reason, they usually stored and recognized years as two digits. Unfortunately, that means a computer that is not re-programmed will see a date of 01/03/00 and will automatically assume that it means January 3, 1900 -- not January 3, 2000.

Leap Year
Another problem is the upcoming Leap Year in 2000. Every year divisible by 4 is a Leap Year -- EXCEPT century years, which must be divisible by 400 in order to be Leap Years. That means 2000 is a Leap Year, but 1900 was not. If computer systems interpret "00" dates as 1900, they will calculate dates incorrectly.

Why Is Y2K So Important?
With increased reliance on computer systems in all parts of the world, incorrect calculations by these systems could have a significant impact on all kinds of businesses and individuals. If systems are not corrected, potential problems include botched mortgage calculations, incorrect invoices, missing government aid checks, power outages, and other problems.

How Will We Solve The Problem?
How can Premier Telcom solve this problem for our customers? Unfortunately, it's not as simple as just putting another two digits into the year field. Many types of equipment need to be checked for date fields and calculations. Wherever there is a chance of miscalculation, thousands and often millions of lines of programming code need to be reviewed. Elements of the system will then be re-tested before the system can be put back into production and monitored for ongoing compliance with the century change. Most of the Year 2000 changes need to be made by our equipment suppliers and service providers.