Accounting Software In General

The harsh reality of the Y2K problem is that Dec. 31, 1999, is still coming, and ready or not, your business will suffer a tremendous blow if your accounting software is not Year 2000 compliant.

Don't Count On Non-Compliant Software

As we scurry closer to the millennium, fear grips businesses that haven't updated or purchased new Y2K compliant accounting software. The apprehension that most small businesses face stems from three preconceived questions: What is the cost of replacing older software? Will the time it takes to change to new software hurt my business? Will the cost to update or replace older softwware bankrupt our business?

By now, we know all software should be tested for Y2K compliance, but accounting software is most susceptible to cripple every business because accounting is the nucleus of all business functions. Depending upon how many features your accounting software has, such information as your customer and supplier base, payroll, budgeting, shareholders equity, and historical data are all routed throughout the accounting system.

There are measures that accounting software manufacturers have implemented that they hope will thwart the impact of the Y2K problem. They include, totally revamping the accounting system to read four-digit years; adding a bandage solution, two-digit year that recognizes certain numbers below a year as the 21st century, and higher number years as 20th century; and recognizing both two and four-digit years.

The four-digit remedy, is the most costly and time-consuming because significant parts of the application ocode must be rewritten to convert years ending in two-digits to four-digits. This is not a simple task, especially if an in-house programmer with no documentation wrote the original application. Plus, the original language, COBOL, is a dying computer language. Programmers will have to literally go through millions, and in some cases, billions of lines of code. Then, in the midst of this headache, pray a programmer did not get inventive and name code after a girlfriend or favorite pet.

Next is the two-digit recognition system. This is a less expensive, temporary fix that allows users to continue using two digits. The disadvantages are twofold. Programmers must rewrite the system to change the year when a two-digit represents a date in the 21st century. Another disadvantage is that long-term date data normally cannot be stored beyond the two-digit transition year to the 21st century. It is possible with the help of a special program to convert two-digit years into four-digit years. If your business has long-term investments, such as mortgages, the two-digit solution could be a big disadvantage.

Last, the cheapest solution that is easiest to implement is the use of two and four-digit year recognition. For example, an end-user will be allowed to input 99 for the year, and the program will internally recognize 1999.

Y2K Compliance Testing

It is essential that you test all accounting software for compliance, even the software that claims it is Y2K compliant. The simplest way to test is to set your system clock to Dec. 31, 1999, about 11:56 p.m. If software is Y2K compliant, all should work well as your clock transitions into the hypothetical year 2000. Back up all data on the sytem before attempting this, however. If an error occurs as you perfrom standard tasks, contact the software maker for upgrades. Another test is to see if reports will sort and print. Add a transaction with a date in 2000 (for example, Feb. 19, 2000). Next, print the report. Check to see if Feb. 19, 2000, prints in the correct order.

If you are considering purchasing new accounting software, take advantage of the Internet. Usually, this software is fully functional and comes with a free (but short) trial period. With the software downloaded and installed, create a sample company and add your company data. Add a few transactions dated Jan. 1, 2000. If the software does not recognize the year 2000, or it other errors occur, you'll know to stay away from that product.

If you have an older version of accounting software on your system and you plan to upgrade, call your local supplier to get details on upgrade options and costs.

From This Point On We Will Be Taking A Look At Individual Developers Of Accounting Software, With Our First Being:

Great Plains Software, Inc.

Great Plains Software, Inc. has been in business since 1981, and now has a family of Windows-based and DOS-based products. Its leading product line is Great Plains Dynamics with Microsoft Office and Dynamics C/S+. Revenues in 1998 from sales of these two products skyrocketed 118% over 1997 revenues. Great Plains Dynamics Software has an active worldwide base of 20,000 customer sites in more than 100 countries.

Great Plains chose the four-digit solution for all its accounting packages. This approach forces users to input dates with four digits. All three Great Plains accounting packages also recognize the year 2000 as a leap year.

Version: Dynamics W M/S Office
Y2K Status: Compliant
Recommendations: A Great Plains spokesperson said that all versions of Dynamics have been compliant since the initial release. There is no need to shop or make available any Year 2000 fixes to any Dynamics customers.
Implementations: None needed.

Version: Dynamics C/S+ With M/S Backoffice
Y2K Status: Compliant
Recommendations: See Above.
Implementations: None needed.

Version: Great Plains Accounting 9.2
(Windows, DOS, Macintosh operating systems)
Y2K Status: Compliant
Recommendations: See Above.
Implementations: None needed.

Version: Great Plains Accounting 6.0
(Windows, DOS, Macintosh operating systems)
Y2K Status: Compliant
Recommendations: See Above.
Implementations: None needed.

If you would like to download Great Plains Dynamics or Great Plains Accounting on to your system to test for compliance, it is easy. However, before you start, it might be a good idea to set up a folder to hold your trial software. Creating a folder is easy in Windows 95 or Windows 98; right-click the Start button and choose Explore. Next, you need to decide in which directory you want to store your new folder. Then, choose File, New, then Folder, and hit ENTER.

Now that you have a folder, navigate to the Great Plains Web site. On the left is a red column of titles, choose Downloads from this list. The system will ask if you want to run the program from its present location or save it to disk. If you wnat to place it in your directory, choose the latter. The download procedure can be lengthy depending on the speed of your Internet connection.

The decision to run over the Internet or save to disk depends on your preferences. The advantage of saving it to disk is that you can run the software without a live Internet connection. Of course, storing a number of sample accounting packages requires a lot of available disk space. If you need to run an installation program for the accounting package, make sure you shut down all other applications. Once the sample file is saved, you can add your company data and change a few dates to Jan 1, 2000, to see if the system accepts changes for 21st century.

Intuit, Inc.

Intuit introduced its first retail over-the-counter automated accounting software called QuickBooks in 1984. QuickBooks now has more than 2 million registered users. According to PC Data, eight out of 10 accounting software users choose QuickBooks or QuickBooks Pro to handle their small-business accounting needs. QuickBooks 6.0 and QuickBooks Pro 6.0 are optimized for Windows 95, Windows NT, and the new Windows 98. A company spokesperson said the QuickBooks for DOS product line has been discontinued, but upgrade assistance is available.

Versions: QuickBooks 6.0, QuickBooks Pro 6.0, QuickBooks & QuickBooks Pro for Windows, QuickBooks & QuickBooks Pro for Macintosh.
Y2K Status: Compliant
Recommendations: All QuickBooks and QuickBooks Pro versions support a 100 year ddate range, starting from 01/01/1928 to 12/31/1927. QuickBooks has a less expensive, temporary fix. Presently, there is no way to enter four-digit dates into QuickBooks for Windows or QuickBooks for Macintosh.

QuickBooks for DOS supports dates through the year 2025. This discontinued version is actually more flexible about dates than the Windows and Macintosh versions that Intuit still supports because you have the option of entering four-digit years. In addition, you can use an apostrophe as the separator. For example, dates before year 2000 enter as 12/31/03 = December 31, 1903. Dates after 2000 enter as 12/31'02 = December 31, 2003.

QuickBooks offers free updates online using QuickBooks Update Service, which is available for QuickBooks 6.0 and QuickBooks Pro 6.0. The most current update release is for Version 4.0 or R4. If you are not sure which version you are presently using, with QuickBooks open, press the CTRL key and 1 to open an information window that displays product information. You have the latest release if the display shows R4.

If your software is not version 4.0, you can download the fix yourself. First, make sure your computer meets requirements. QuickBooks requires an IBM-compatible 486 or faster PC and 55MB of free space on the hard drive. Downloading from the Internet requires an additional 40MB of space. Intuit supports downloading over the Internet exclusively with the Microsoft Internet Explorer browser. You also need Windows 95 or Windows 98, and a 256-color VGA or higher resolution monitor. If you're installing QuickBooks Pro you also will need QuickBooks Pro data file. This is your accounting data.

Implementations: Although all supported versions are Y2K compliant, here is how you can download the newest QuickBook versions. First, open QuickBooks, choose QuickBooks Update Service from the Online menu. Next, click Go Online. (Remember you must have our Internet connection to work with QuickBooks. Instructions to connect to the Internet are under Configurations; click the button and follow instructions.) Once downloading has begun, a display called QuickBooks Update Status shows what is being downloaded. When downloading is completed, check the Updates Received section of QuickBooks Update Service. Asterisks will highlight all updates received.

You can download updates for QuickBooks for DOS from Technical Support. If you have the following releases on your system you are already updated: QuickBooks v1.0, Release 9b; QuickBooks v2.0, Release 6a; or QuickBooks v2.1, Release 2a.

QuickBooks Web Support is located at http://www.intuit.com/support/quickbooks, and provides answers to frequently asked questions. QuickBooks specialists provide the documentation for quick and accurate technical help on Quick-Books. Updates are provided at this Web site, as well.

QuickBooks, has a toll-free fax support line at 800/858-6090 and toll-free telephone support for all QuickBooks users regardless of the version you use. This telephone line is only for questions, regarding installation, data conversion, and product defects.

Peachtree Software

Peachtree Software has an active customer base of 600,000, about 20% of the total market. The company has a wide variety of DOS-based and Windows-based products.

Peachtree Software accounting packages have two very important aspects of year 2000 compliance: four-digit year-end and that they recognize the year 2000 as a leap year.

Version: Office Accounting
Y2K Status: Compliant with fixes.
Recommendations: Obtain Fixes.
Implementations: Fixes available by end of 1998; refer to http://www.peachtree.com for details.

Version: Peachtree 2000
Y2K Status: Compliant.
Recommendations: None.
Implementations: None needed.

Version: Peachtree Complete Accounting Plus Time & Billing versions 4.0 and 6.0.
Y2K Status: Compliant with fixes.
Recommendations: Obtain fixes.
Implementations: Fixes available by end of January 1999; refer to http://www.peachtree.com for details.

Version: Peachtree Accounting for Windows Release 3.0 and 3.5.
Y2K Status: Not Compliant.
Recommendations: Upgrade to newest version.
Implementations: Upgrade will be available by mail or Internet by end of 1998.

Version: Peachtree Accounting for Windows Release 6.0.
Y2K Status: Compliant with fixes.
Recommendations: Obtain fixes.
Implementations: Fixes available end of January 99; refer to http://www.peachtree.com for details.

Version: Peachtree First Accounting
Y2K Status: Compliant with fixes.
Recommendations: Obtain fixes.
Implementations: Fixes available Dec. 15, 1998; refer to http://www.peachtree.com for details.

Version: Peachtree Complete for DOS, versions 10 and older.
Y2K Status: Not Compliant.
Recommendations: Upgrade to version 11.
Implementations: Version 9 (and older) users, refer to http://www.peachtree.com. For version 10 customers, updates will be sent to you automatically.

Version: Peachtree Complete Accounting for DOS, version 11.
Y2K Status: Compliant.
Recommendations: None.
Implementations: None needed.

Version: One-Write Plus for Windows.
Y2K Status: Compliant.
Recommendations: None.
Implementations: None needed.

If you want to download Peachtree Software and test it for compliance, the only product available for download is Peachtree First Accounting. To download it on to your system go to the Peachtree Web site. Click Products on the toolbar at the top of the screen. This screen shows all the Peachtree products. Scroll down until you see Peachtree First Accounting. At the bottom of the product description is a hyperlink to download a trial version. Click New! Download A Trail Version. On the next screen, choose How To Download. This gives you a fully functional 10-day free trial version. Your computer system must have 18MB of free disk space and 4.3MB of RAM.

Peachtree claims the whole download procedure takes approximately 42 minutes. You either can download the whole package, or download one module at a time. Before starting the download, you may want to create a special folder to hold it. See the description of how to do this in the Great Plains summary. You may want to use a separate folder for each accounting package you download.

Once you have Peachtree downloaded, you can test it for compliance. Input some trial data from your current accounting records. Next, perform a simple task such as setting your system clock to Dec. 31, 1999, and a time close to midnight. Then, observe if your accounting totals are correct with the new time and the old records. In addition, input a sale to one of your active cutomers who has an outstanding balance on their account as of Dec. 31, 1999. Next, perform an aging report of that customer's account dated for Jan. 2, 2000. If the report shows the sale carried through to the new year and added to the already existent balance, your software is Y2K compliant.

Peachtree Software, Inc. now has Authorized Peachtree Support Centers (PSCs) in more than 60 cities throughout the United States. PSCs provide installation assistance, training, telephone technical support, and on-site visits. In addition, Peachtree offers Support Membership, which is one low annual fee with 100 minutes of priority support either using a special toll-free number, fax access, or, as an alternative to contract telephone support, Pay-Per-Call.

Solomon Software, Inc.

Solomon serves more than 10,000 SQL-based client sites, in more than 100 countries. The product line consists of two key products: Solomon IV Edition for BackOffice, released in 1998, and the flagship Solomon IV for Windows. In additioin, the company also offers Solomon III, a DOS-based program.

Solomon designed the newer product lines, Solomon IV for Windows (Release 2.06 + Service Pack 2 or later), and Solomon III for Btrieve, (Version 2.0c with June 30,1998 or later cumulative updates) to accurately store Y2K date data without error. (Service packs are delivered to every plan subscriber on a Maintenance CD approximately every three to six months depending on the current release.) Each product is programmed to recognize different centuries or multiple centuries accurately. This procedure is often referred to as "Y2K general integrity."

In addition, Solomon's programs will not abnormally end or provide invalid or incorrect results due to Year 2000 date change.

Solomon Software recognizes both two and four-digit years. The display screen shows the year as two digits, but the internal system recognizes four digits. Solomon Software's Year-2000 compliant products allocate four digits to accommodate past, present, and future accounting activity.

Version: Solomon IV for Windows (Microsoft SQL Server) 2.5 with Service Pack 3 or later.
Y2K Status: Compliant.
Recommendations: None.
Implementations: None needed.

Version: Solomon IV for Windows (Scalable SQL) 2.06 with Service Pack 2 or later.
Y2K Status: Compliant.
Recommendations: None.
Implementations: None needed.

Version: Solomon III Btrieve Version 2.0c with 06/30/98 or later cumulative updates.
Y2K Status: Compliant.
Recommendations: None.
Implementations: None needed.

Version: SDG Project Controller Release B.02 with Service Pack 2 or later.
Y2K Status: Compliant.
Recommendations: None.
Implementations: None needed.

Solomon Software will ship a CD-ROM that contains the Service Pack updates when they become available to all plan subscribers. Customers without the subscriber's plan have three ways to upgrade their software: Call your distributor, order the CD-ROM for $49.95 (includes shipping and handling), or download it from Solomon's Web site.

To download updates on to your system, go to the Solomon Web site. The home page gives you several options, choose Software Downloads. The next screen offers several update options. Scroll down until you see the software product you want to download. Click the hyperlink that addresses your upgrade requirements. Depending on which version you highlight, you will see a screen with the files to download.

To test the process, we chose to download Solomon IV for Windows Version 2.5x Updates. The downloaded screen has valuable information for customrs performing this task on their own. For instance, when downloading large self-extracting archives to your computer, you need to have a program to compress and decompress large volumes of information, usually a program such as WinZip or PKZip is needed. Solomon Software conveniently added a dialog called Unzip To. It creates a folder for you automatically from the files that you download over the Internet. Remember to review the Great Plains summary for a discussion of how to crate a folder for storing downloaded software.

Solomon also makes available an E-mail address if you run into problems while downloading. Send your messages to clients@solomon.com. Solomon suggests that for faster service to title your message Software Download Problem. Technical support services for Solomon updates are also available at the Web site.

From This Point On We Will Be Taking A Look At Database Programs And Individual Developers Of Database Software.

(NOTE: In this document, MMDDYY refers to date entries that contain only two digits for the month (MM) day (DD) and year (YY). MMDDYYYY refers to entries where the year is comprised of four digits. This format is sometimes called the long date format. Some companies refer to the long date format with MMDDCCYY, wher CC is the century, but not all programs us MMDDYYYY information in that order [for example, some use DDMMYYYY]. It is standardized here for simplification only.)

The Year 2000 problem is an issue in nearly every software category, and databases are no exception. Databases are date-intensive applications, using calendar information for everything from sorting, to tracking, to billing. Fortunately, database problems are typically less severe than similar spreadsheet problems (because spreadsheets are used more for invoicing) but the problems can still cause a lot of trouble.

Many of the Y2K issues databases suffer from can be staved off if you have an understanding of the way they handle dates. Some database software uses the system date (the date from your computer's internal clock) to determine the handling of MMDDYY entries. This is fine as long as your are aware of this during data entry. If 2000 has come and gone without any problems, software that uses the system date can cause problems if users are to complacent. For instance, entering the date 01/21/00 will be interpreted as Jan. 21, 2000. However, if you are making an entry for Dec. 21, 1999, some software that uses the system clock will expand the entry to 12/21/2099.

Good database software gets around this limitation by also employing algorithms that sensibly read the YY portion of the date to make an educated guess at the century. If the YY entry ranges from, say, 00-30 the program assumes the field refers to the 21st century and uses 20 for the beginning of the entry. Similarly, entries ranging from 31-99 are assumed to refer to 20th century dates. Good software does this automatically while better software lets you determine which centuries should be assigned to particular YY ranges.

The main hurdle you'll likely face in preparing your database for Y2K is getting cooperation from users in proper data entry. Most database software, even the most archaic, is capable of reading MMDDYYYY entries. Standardizing on this long date format can circumvent problems with the program assuming which century it is. Any time you leave interpretation up to the software, you are asking for trouble. Look at your database software and see if it will let you force users to make MMDDYYYY entries.

Typically, however, the best method of making your database Y2K ready is to upgrade your software to the latest version. If you do decide to upgrade your software, ask the vendor if the new product will automatically expand MMDDYY entries into MMDDYYYY formatting.

If you are using older database software, be aware that several database companies have changed their names, changed the name of their product, been purchased, or are licensing their software to another company. The best example of this is for users of old versions of Paradox. Paradox was originally sold and supported by Borland. Borland has since changed its name to Inprise Corp., which supports all versions of Paradox through 7.0 After that version was produced, Corel licensed the product and supports version 8.0 and newer.

Another consideration is whether the software you are using is the plain-vanilla version sold by the original company or a custom-designed version sold by a third-party developer. If a third-party developed your database, you'll have to go to them for Y2K help. If this is the case, be sure to ask if they restricted the entry or display of year entries to two digits, as this could cause Y2K headaches. Also ask if they added any algorithms to the software regarding date expansion of which you should be aware. If the vendor that developed your software is good, it should have come to you with this information a long time ago.

Be aware that Y2K can cause trouble even after New Year's Day has passed. It's a leap year (unlike 1900) meaning dates can be thrown off by a day. All those zeros also can cause trouble when programs attempt to process dates mathematically. Programs have a habit of going crazy when they are forced to divide by zero, so many will expand the date to the full 2000. This can reduce the quotient, however, if the program was designed to use only two or three digits. It will pay in the long run to know how your database is handling date entries.

ACI US, Inc.

ACI US, Inc. makes the 4th Dimension (4D) line of database products. The company has performed Y2K testing on all of its products and claims every version from 1.0 to the present is Y2K compliant, capable of recognizing dates ranging from A.D. 100 to 32,000. The company vouches only for the compliance of the base product; developers who have created a custom-made product using 4D could have made the base program noncompliant. ACI US reminds users custom versions of its product that allow for MMDDYY formatting are not compliant unless the developer has built in an algorithm to deduce the correct century from given data.

Version: All Versions, From 1.0 To Present.
Y2K Status: Every version of 4D presently available is Y2K compliant, with the ability to read dates between A.D. 100 and 32,000.
Recommendations: If you are using a product based on 4D, ACI US recommends contacting your product's developer to ensure its programmers built in Y2K compliance. If you are using a standard version of 4D, no action should be necessary except using the MMDDYYYY format.
Implementations: Go to the ACI US, Inc. Web site and click the Y2K entry on the navigation bar to read the company's full report on Y2K issues.

Alpha Software Corp

The Alpha Series of database products, created by Alpha Software Corp., have minor Y2K issues in some versions. The company presently supports versions 2, 3, 4, and 6 of Alpha Four for DOS and versions 1-4 of Alpha Five for Windows. Most product versions handle dates differently, so pay close attention to determine if corrective action is necessary. One pointer given by Alpha Software for all versions of its product is that proper date math will always be performed if the MMDDYYYY format is used, so little to no changes should be necessary if this long date format is always enforced.

Version: Alpha Four (DOS) Version 6.2
Y2K Status: The product is compliant, but steps must be taken to guarantee readiness.
Recommendations: Unlike other versions that automatically use the system date, version 6.2 has an option in the default settings that can be used to automatically append either 19th or 20th century dates to MMDDYY entries.
Implementations: Consult the help documentation to learn how to access the default options. Find the setting that pertains to the century, and make changes accordingly.

Version: Alpha Four (DOS) Version 6.
Y2K Status: The product is compliant, but steps must be taken to guarantee readiness.
Recommendations: Verson 6 of Alpha uses the system date to expand MMDDYY entries, rather than a default setting.
Implementations: Ensure the system clock is properly set and compliant with the Y2K rollover.

Version: Alpha Four (DOS) Version 2, 3, and 4.
Y2K Status: The products are compliant, but steps must be taken to guarantee readiness.
Recommendations: Alpha Software Corp. has given little specific information regarding these versions, but they are fully compliant if the MMDDYYYY format is used.
Implementations: Check to ensure all entries us the MMDDYYYY format rather than a two-digit date field. Change entries that do not conform to this standard.

Version: Alpha Five (Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows NT) Version 4.
Y2K Status: The product is compliant, but steps must be taken to guarantee readiness.
Recommendations: The company claims Alpha Five version 4 has "improved Year 2000 support" but little supporting documentation is available. The program does allow for rules and masks that would force users to enter dates with the MMDDYYYY format.
Implementations: You shouldn't have problems with Alpha Five version 4 at the turn of the millennia, regardless of what you do. We recommend using the included rules feature to force the MMDDYYYY format on users to ensure exported data is compliant with other programs.

Version: Alpha Five (Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows NT) Versions 2 And 3.
Y2K Status: The product is compliant, but steps must be taken to guarantee readiness.
Recommendations: The company recommends taking advantage of the general setting that is used to expand MMDDYY entries. If the year portion of the date field uses a certain number, the program will automatically assign a century. For example, you can tell it to assign 19 to year entries that reange from 20-99, and 20 to entries that range from 00-19.
Implementations: Use the documentation to find and modify the rules governing century assignments.

Version: Alpha Five (Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows NT) Version 1.
Y2K Status: The product is compliant, but steps must be taken to guarantee readiness.
Recommendations: If the program encounters a MMDDYY entry, it automatically assumes the date is in the 20th century.
Implementations: The best way to avoid problems is to force MMDDYYYY entries. Upgrading to newer versions of the software also will alleviate the problem.

Corel Corp

Corel Corp. presently sells and supports the Corel Paradox database, but this entry is a little strange because of the history of the Paradox line. Corel supports only version 8 of the product; anything older is supported by Inprise Corp. (formerly Borland Corp.). You can reach Inprise at 831/431-1000, or at the Inprise Web site. Paradox 8 is the latest version of the product, and Corel claims it is fully compliant. Older versions that Inprise supports suffer from various monor problems, but can be made Y2K-ready when appropriate steps are taken.

Version: Paradox 8 (Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows NT).
Y2K Status: Compliant.
Recommendations: Corel Corp. claims the product supports dates ranging from 9999 B.C. to A.D. 9999. Dates ending in 00-50 will be interpreted automatically as 21st century entries while dates ending in 51-99 will have the 20th century appended.
Implementations: No steps should be necessary under normal circumstances, but try to use the MMDDYYYY format whenever possible.

Version: Paradox 7 (Windows 3.x and all older operating system versions).
Y2K Status: Comliant, in that it recognized MMDDYYYY entries.
Recommendations: Inprise recommends taking steps to prevent entries using the MMDDYY format.
Implementations: Go to http://www.inprise.com/devsupport/y2000/ti3076.html. Follow the instructions to force users to use MMDDYYYY entries.

FileMaker, Inc. (Formerly Claris Corp)

FileMaker Pro is a database application that has been around for a long time. FileMaker, Inc. used to be known as Claris Corp, so the version you are using may look like it is supported by a company other than FileMaker.

All current versions of the database (3.0 and above) are Y2K-ready and should pose few problems. Versions older than 2.1 could have trouble handling 21st century dates, and the problems they pose should be amended immediately. All versions of the product are capable of handling dates through the year 3000 and correctly manage the leap year in 2000.

Version: FileMaker Pro 3.0 And Newer.
Y2K Status: Compliant.
Recommendations: These versions automatically expand the century field when the MMDDDYY format is used. For example, when a user types 12/01/99 the program displays 12/01/1999 so the user is aware of the century being used. The program also handles old or imported data by expanding all MMDDYY entries into full MMDDYYYY formatting.
Implementations: No steps should be necessary aside from ensuring the automatic expansion of the YY field corresponds with the present century.

Version: FileMaker Pro 2.1 And Older.
Y2K Status: Compliant with minor adjustments.
Recommendations: FileMaker, Inc. reports versions 2.1 and older always assume the YY value in MMDDYY entries refers to the 20th century and interprets data accordingly.
Implementations: It is imperative to enforce the MMDDYYYY format for all entries to ensure date math will be properly executed. Upgrading to version 3.0 or newer will automatically take care of this problem by expanding MMDDYY entries.

IBM Corp

IBM Corp. supports the DB2 series of database products. Users should be aware IBM calls a product Y2K-ready even it action must be taken by the user to force the product into readiness. Don't assume that simply because the company claims its product is ready you won't have to do anything; it's likely the product is merly compliant. IBM has much more information regarding its readiness definition their IBM Year 2000 Spec Web pages.

Many third-party developers use DB2 as a basis for their customized product, so call your vendor to make sure there is no proprietary code in your database that could conflict with 21st century dates.

Version: DB2 UDB, All Versions; DB2, Version 2.1 And Newer.
Y2K Status: Compliant.
Recommendations: IBM claims these versions of its database should work without problems during the millennium transition.
Implementations: Enforce the MMDDYYYY format in all data entry to avoid any potential ambiguity in interpreting the century.

Version: DB2, Versions Older Than 3.1.
Y2K Status: IBM says these products are not Y2K-ready.
Recommendations: You should upgrade because versions older than 2.1 have trouble if they encounter MMDDYY entries after the turn of the century.
Implementations: Avoid trouble by upgrading your software or exclusively using MMDDYYYY formatting.

Informix Software, Inc.

Informix Software, Inc., maker of the Informix Dynamic Server line of database products, claims all of its presently supported products are Y2K compliant. Its definition of compliance is that dates from 1/1/2000 on will cause no problems with its software. Unfortunately, versions older than 5 do not enjoy full support, so be careful if you have one of these older versions.

Version: Informix Dynamic Server, Version 5 And Newer
Y2K Status: Compliant, with some exceptions.
Recommendations: Informix says the presently supported versions of its can handle dates in MMDDYY format, but because the software gets information from various parts of your computer, it's important to make sure the entire system is Y2K compliant.
Implementations: Use the MMDDYYYY format when entering or importing data. Informix also has added an environment variable called DBCENTURY you can use to add improved support for post-millennial dates. DBCENTURY has several variables you can set to handle dates in various ways. Complete details are on the Informix Year 2000 Web page.

Version: Informix Database Products Older Than Version 5.
Y2K Status: Can be forced into compliance, but no longer supported by Informix.
Recommendations: Informix has not provided specific information regarding legacy versions of its database product, but registered users can sign up for more information at the Informix Web site.
Implementations: You will need to go to the Informix TechInfo Center to find specific information regarding the company's legacy versions of the database.

Lotus Development Corp

Lotus Development Corp supports the Approach line of database software. The company claims all versions of its product are Y2K compliant. Because the company is a division of IBM, you can find a lot of information about the Y2K status of the company's products at the IBM Y2K Web site. You can find detailed information regarding Approach at the Lotus Web site, under the Year 2000 subsection of the "What's New" category.

Version: Approach, All Versions From 3.0 To Present.
Y2K Status: Compliant.
Recommendations: Beginning with Approach 3.0, Lotus added additional Y2K support. In versions 3.0 to Approach Millennium (the latest) any two-digit year entry of 30 or less is assumed to be a 21st century date. Approach Millennium uses the system date to determine the century, using 80/20 split. YY entries entered in the 20th century will be assigned the 19 century value if they are greater than 20, and the 20th century value if they are 20 or less. When the system date moves to the 21st century, all YY entries up to 80 are assumed to be 21st century dates.
Implementations: No steps should be necessary if you are aware of the 30-year window present in versions older than Approach Millennium.

Microsoft Corp

Two Databse products supported by Microsoft are discussed here; its Access line and its Fox Pro line. There should be few Y2K related problems with either product, but you can find detailed information at Microsoft's Year 2000 Web site. We especially recommend looking at this information if you use FoxPro Professional or Visual FoxPro Professional because the advise given is useful and beyond the scope of this article.

Access 97 and 95 should operate normally when given dates ranging from 1/1/100 through 12/31/9999. Product versions not listed below have not been tested by Microsoft because they are no longer supported by the company.

Version: Access 97.
Y2K Status: Compliant with patch.
Recommendations: Microsoft recommends using Access's Input Mask to automatically expand MMDDYY entries into MMDDYYYY formatting. Detailed information on how to do this is found in the product documentation. There also is a patch that clears up some Y2K problems.
Implementations: Download and install the patch from http://officeupdate.microsoft.com/Articles/sr2fact.htm. Also, be aware the cutoff date for the Input Mask is 30 if you plan to enter dates beyond 2030.

Version: Access 95 (a.k.a. Version 7).
Y2K Status: Microsoft lists the readiness of this version as "compliant with minor issues."
Recommendations: Microsoft has issued a dynamic link library (.DLL) file that makes the program work better with dates, and an Input Mask identical to the one found in Access 97 is included with the product. There should be no problems as long as MMDDYY dates are not being imported because the product assumes imported dates using that format are 20th century dates.
Implementations: You need to make sure your OLEAUT32.DLL is version 2.20.4049 or greater. Use the Find function in the Start menu to look for this file. Right-click the file name when it appears, and then select Properties. Choose the version tab to see if the version you have is current. If not, you'll need to download the new version from http://support.microsoft.com/download/support/mslfiles/msvbvm50.exe. Double-click the downloaded file to install it. Also, be careful when importing data because imported MMDDYY dates are assumed to fall in the 20th century.

Version: Access 2.0.
Y2K Status: The company calls this version "not compliant," but it can be forced into compliance.
Recommendations: Access 2.0 assumes all entries made with the MMDDYY format are in the 20th century. Using the MMDDYYYY format consistently will force the program to correctly read the date regardless of century.
Implementations: Force the MMDDYYYY format by using an Input Mask. More information on Input Masks is available in the Help files that come with the program. You also should change the import/export defaults to always use the MMDDYYYY format.

Version: Visual FoxPro Professional 6.0.
Y2K Status: Compliant.
Recommendations: This product comes with an improved version of the Set Century To command that lets you specify rollover dates that will automatically interpret MMDDYY entries as 21st century dates when the system clock is giving 21st century dates.
Implementations: Provided you have properly configured the Set Century To variable (refer to the product documentation) the product will handle the transition to 21st century dates any way you ask it.

Version: Visual FoxPro Professional 5.0.
Y2K Status: Compliant with some user intervention required.
Recommendations: This version of the database also uses the Set Century To and Set Century On commands to tell when MMDDYY format dates fall in the 20th or 21st centuries.
Implementations: Consult the documentation to set the variables to your liking. Not doing so will cause the program to always interpret MMDDYY entries as 20th century dates. Also, enforce MMDDYYYY date entry.

Version: Visual FoxPro Professional 3.0b.
Y2K Status: Compliant with some user intervention required.
Recommendations: This version of Visual FoxPro uses the Set Century On command to use MMDDYYYY date entries, but will always interpret MMDDYY entries as 20th century dates.
Implementations: The only way to avoid all problems is to enforce MMDDYYYY date entries so the software will always use the correct century. Also consult the documentation to properly configure the Set Century On command.

Version: FoxPro Professional 5.0 And Newer.
Y2K Status: Compliant with some setting adjustments.
Recommendations: Version 5.0+ of FoxPro Professional can use an algorithm to choose the correct century in MMDDYY entries, as long as the Set Century To Rollover command is correctly configured. Otherwise, all MMDDYY entries are assumed to be 20th century dates.
Implementations: Look up the Set Century To Rollover command in the product documentation. Proper use of this setting will let you tell FoxPro how to handle the MMDDYY dates.

Version: FoxPro Professional 2.6 Through 5.0 (DOS, Windows 3.x).
Y2K Status: Microsoft lists the status of this product as "compliant, with minor issues."
Recommendations: This older version of FoxPro Professional automatically interprets all MMDDYY dates as 20th century dates. It is capable of using the MMDDYYYY format, but a setting must be enabled.
Implementations: It is imperative to always use MMDDYYYY formatting when working with this version of the software. To enforce this (or even allow it) use the priduct documentation to learn how to enable the Set Century On setting. The default is Set Century Off, which forces the program to use a MMDDYY format.

Oracle

Oracle is famous for databases of the same name, and the company claims all of its currently supported products are Y2K compliant. Unlike many companies, Oracle defines several levels of compliance depending on a product's ability to handle leap years, correctly store century data, handle the transition to 2000 without causing problems, correctly interpret MMDDYY formatting, and its ability to act in accordance with the documentation during and after the transition to 2000. Because of its expanded criteria, Oracle rates the compliance of its products on a scale that ranges from Fully Compliant (meets all five criteria) to Not Compliant (meets none of the criteria and will have no support form Oracle ito meet the criteria). You can find much more information regarding this at the Oracle Year 2000 Web site.

Version: Oracle7 Through Oracle8i (most current version), All Editions.
Y2K Status: Fully Compliant.
Recommendations: These versions of Oracle determine the century of MMDDYY dates by looking at the YY data and applying an algorithm that automatically expands the date to full MMDDYYYY formatting. If the last two digits of the present year on the system clock read 0-49, and the YY value is between 0 and 49, Oracle will use the present century. If the system clock reads 50-99 and the YY entry is between 0 and 49, the century following the present century is used. More information can be found at the Oracle Year 2000 Web site.
Implementations: Because all internally stored dates are in MMDDYYYY format, there is a very small potential for Y2K problems. Contact the company for details.

Red Brick

Makers of the Red Brick Warehouse relational database, Red Brick Systems, Inc. claims all of its products are Y2K compliant. The company has released a statement regarding the way its database handles dates, and the program should pose little trouble. All dates are stored in full MMDDYYYY format, and the product is designed to perform math operations with that format. Note that the date presented to the user may be truncated to MMDDYY format, but internally it is sotred in the MMDDYYYY standard.

Version: Red Brick Warehouse, All Versions.
Y2K Status: Compliant.
Recommendations: Red Brick Systems claims the product sotres all internal dates in MMDDYYYY format, even though users may only see MMDDYY displayed.
Implementations: Always enter dates in MMDDYYYY format to avoid any confusion or errors from the date expansion algorithm.