Bell Atlantic Confident in Smooth Y2K Transition

Strategic Insights -

Bell Atlantic, a leading telecommunications company in the Northeast, was prepared to face the Year 2000 date change, also known as the Y2K problem. The company had spent over three years screening its hardware and software for Year 2000 susceptibility, replacing or retiring equipment as necessary. With a team of experts monitoring its systems 24 hours a day, Bell Atlantic was confident that the transition would be smooth, with no major disruptions to its 23 million customers in the northeastern United States.

Key Takeaways:

  • Bell Atlantic had spent over three years preparing for the Y2K problem, screening its hardware and software for susceptibility and replacing or retiring equipment as necessary.
  • The company had a team of experts monitoring its systems 24 hours a day, with workers from virtually every business function in position to analyze and correct any problems that emerged.
  • Bell Atlantic was operating a round-the-clock watch on its telecommunications network and support systems, with a "follow-the-sun" strategy in place to monitor the impact of the year 2000 rollover on telecommunications networks elsewhere in the world.
  • The company was confident that the transition would be smooth, with no major disruptions to its 23 million customers in the northeastern United States.
  • Bell Atlantic had a dedicated Website, http://www.ba.com, where customers could find information and updates on the company's Y2K preparations.
  • Skip Patterson, executive director of Bell Atlantic's Y2K program operation, stated that the company expected the rollover into the new millennium to be smooth, with its network and other systems continuing to operate normally.

Statistics:

  • 23 million: number of customers in the northeastern United States served by Bell Atlantic
  • 3 years: amount of time Bell Atlantic spent preparing for the Y2K problem
  • 24/7: round-the-clock watch operated by Bell Atlantic to monitor systems and analyze any problems that emerged
  • 80s and 90s: decades when Bell Atlantic began to take steps to address the Y2K problem

Sources:

  • Newsbytes.com, reported by Eric Rabe, Bell Atlantic 212-395-0500 (19991231/Press Contact)