Student SWAT teams are the latest recruits in the battle to beat the millennium bug on campus.
"We've enlisted students to conduct on-site visits to test personal computer hardware and to inventory software for Y2K compliance," says Nadine Hofmann, Y2K project co-ordinator at UBC's ITServices. "To date, we've trained seven students to help departments address their Y2K problems. More members will be added according to demand."
The SWAT teams are just one of the resources offered by ITServices on a fee-for-service basis.
Other services available for a fee include:
Y2K inventory: ITServices provides a secure Oracle database with friendly Web interface to help departments create the required audit report of equipment inventoried for Y2K compliance.
Y2K Intranet: This tool provides a central location to post departmental Y2K progress reports. It can be hosted on the department or faculty Web server or on ITServices' Web server.
Upgrades: ITServices can help with system upgrades and replacement for personal computers and laptops and assess servers and network operating systems.
ITServices also provides the following free services:
Y2K Kit: Available from ITServices Customer Support Centre, this floppy disk contains Y2K general information and links to software and hardware vendor Y2K Web sites. Also included is the program 2000.exe, which tests the Real Time Clock (RTC) and the Basic Input/Output System (BIOS) of the PC. A one-page "How to Use" document accompanies the disk.
Y2K Project Guide: A set of instructions to guide departments through the steps needed to reach Y2K compliance. The guide includes a list of all the equipment that can be affected by the Y2K bug and is available directly from the Y2K Web site at http://www.itservices.ubc.ca/year2000.
Y2K Project Schedule: An example of a timeline schedule featuring key tasks that need to be achieved this year to ensure Y2K compliance of equipment and software. The schedule is available on the Y2K Web site.
For more information about these services or other Y2K enquiries call 604-822-2008, fax 822-5116, e-mail help@itservices.ubc.ca or check the Web page at http://www.itservices.ubc.ca/year2000.