YEAR 2000 COMPLIANCE IS ABOUT SURVIVAL

Opening the IT 2000 Conversion Conference in Wellington today Minister for Information Technology Maurice Williamson told delegates that more attention on Year 2000 compliance is needed by New Zealand senior management.

"The majority of companies that are currently sailing into trouble are in the main; small, poorly managed and are not taking any notice of the many warnings currently being sounded by the computer industry.

"It is vital Year 2000 solutions have senior management support given recent survey results that reveal 41% of this country's IT Managers believe the Year 2000 issue is not sufficiently understood by their senior management.

"It's interesting to note already 23% of those surveyed have struck Year 2000 problems.

"I don't believe legislating companies to become compliant is the answer, after all if going out of business isn't going to persuade companies to take action why should a fine.

"Legislation has the potential to unfairly penalise organisations who are already compliant and does not differentiate between those organisations which are strategically important to the economy and a corner dairy," Mr Williamson said.