Page 166 of 654
Page 166 of 654
HONG KONG PROVISIONAL URBAN COUNCIL
167
(b) Will the Department set up any working groups or contract out the job to other outside computing services companies, to thoroughly test all its computer equipment and application software so as to ensure the provision of normal computing services in the year 2000?
(c) In view of the '2000 millennium' problem, how much is the Department going to spend on testing, upgrading and replacing the relevant equipment and application software?
MR. SUEN KAI-CHEONG, CHAIRMAN OF THE ADMINISTRATION SELECT COMMITTEE, replied as follows (in Cantonese): I shall respond to Mr. Christopher CHUNG's question in three parts.
Part one. In 1996, the IT Centre completed a review on all USD computer equipment and application systems for Year 2000 compliance. At present, 22 major application systems are maintained by the IT Centre (please refer to Appendix A), among which a total of 17 systems were not Year 2000 compliant. These 17 application systems will be enhanced in due course to cater for the Year 2000 requirements. As for the system/hardware side, all platforms are Year 2000 compliant except for the IBM ES 9000 mainframe computer. In addition, all new systems are to be Year 2000 compliant. This requirement will be included in the contract terms and system specification. My response to the second part of Mr. Christopher Chung's question is as follows.
All testing for Year 2000 compliance has been and will be performed by the IT Centre technical staff. So far, 5 out of 17 application systems have been modified and tested. All computer systems for public services, e.g. URBTIX, SPORTIX and UCPL, have been certified by individual suppliers as being Year 2000 compliant. The testing of these application systems would be carried out when the new disaster recovery site is set up. (Plans for the site will be implemented in several phases. Phase I is scheduled to be set up in early 1998 and tenders are now being invited.)
My response to the third part of Mr. CHUNG's question is as follows.
The IT Centre has spent about HK$370,000, which had been absorbed as daily staff activities, for programme modification and testing for Year 2000 compliance. The estimated expenditure to be incurred for human resources is HK$2,000,000. In order to speed up the modification and testing of the remaining systems, external agency service will also be employed by the IT Centre. It is anticipated that the whole process will take about 18 months and will be completed by the end of 1998.
MR. CHRISTOPHER CHUNG SHU-KUN (in Cantonese): Mr. Chairman, the Year 2000 compliance issue is in fact not simply one of computer technology. It reflects on the management standard of companies and organisations. After listening to the response of Mr. Suen, I get the feeling that the Urban Services Department
Page 166 of 654
Page 166 of 654