13 December 1999 - Hitachi Data Systems today announced its participation in the California State and local government program called, "Follow the Sun." The program enlists the support of high-tech corporations in tracking early Y2K warnings, as well as monitoring the ways in which organizations worldwide are responding to Y2K-related issues.
Hitachi Data Systems has been designated as one of the primary organizations in charge of monitoring possible Y2K problems as they happen around the world. Hitachi will be joined by other global organizations in support of the millennium watch, which will begin December 30 through January 4. Together, the participating vendors will keep governmental officials informed of any suspected or probable Y2K technical malfunctions.
"Along with the approach of midnight December 31, 1999, there has been increased speculation as to what system disruptions may occur, as a result of the new year. Hitachi and other leading high-tech companies will follow the sun from East to West and report any problems to the State of California," said Egan Christensen, IT director, Hitachi Data Systems Y2K Initiative.
As these global companies observe the impact of the new year on their IT equipment around the globe, any problems that are uncovered will be relayed directly to the Governor's Office of Emergency Services in Sacramento, California. While public safety is a concern, the primary focus of the project is to ensure that California and its foreign trading partners continue to conduct business into the new millennium with minimal disruption.
"A major benefit of being located in California is that our state will be one of the last places to experience the dawn of the new millennium," added Christensen. "Using feedback from our offices in Australia and New Zealand, we will be able to determine trouble patterns early on December 31, and still have 10, 12, or even 16 hours to react."
In the United States, any Hitachi personnel that are not required to staff the Y2K command center on December 31, have been asked to be on call throughout the day to help clients with potential problems and ensure that systems are up and running for business.
The "Follow the Sun" program consists of several other vendors from both the private and public sectors, and for the duration of this initiative, many of these vendors plan to have "spotters" deployed in 20 locations worldwide. Nine will be stationed at California's foreign trade offices, while the remaining spotters work from the offices of six global high-tech firms.
Recognized as a leading provider of business solutions for the world's most IT-intensive corporations, Hitachi Data Systems offers professional services, multi-platform storage subsystems, and the industry's broadest line of high-performance servers. The company's extensive range of products and services, coupled with its business alliances with key industry leaders, enable it to transform IT into business agility for high-end and middle-market customers. Hitachi Data Systems is owned by Hitachi, Ltd. (NYSE:HIT) and has its headquarters in Santa Clara, California.
Contacts: PR: Hitachi Data Systems
Hitachi Data Systems is registered with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office as a trademark and service mark of Hitachi, Ltd.
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