The witching hour

The magical midnight hour that launches the next millennium will see channel figures running for the safety of the hills or foreign beaches. Few are willing to stick around and face the music on 1 January 2000 when customer calls threaten to jam their call centre switchboards.

Unsurprisingly, most manufacturers, distributors and resellers agree on one thing - they won't be in a plane on the eve of this auspicious occasion. They'll also be giving lifts a wide berth. PC Dealer raises its glass and asks: where will the channel's top bods be singing Auld Lang Syne?

Rana Mainee, European market analyst and planning manager at AMD
I'll be I think most people will be doing one of three things - at home with the family, out socialising somewhere like Edinburgh or lying on a beach on some remote island. I'm going for the latter. I'll be on a beach somewhere in the South Pacific. It's sort of already planned that I'll head there after visiting New Zealand - one of the first islands to witness the millennium.
I won't be Near a computer.
The company? We have no special contingency plans at the moment.
Load of old hype? Regarding business, people will definitely need employees on standby. Most companies have some applications that are date-centric, but I'm sure every bank and insurance company will have its employees on call. Some airlines probably won't fly. If that's the case, I can think of worse places to be stuck than the South Pacific.

John McCartney, managing director of Rapid Group
I'll be On Concorde. I've already booked a flight to Barbados for Christmas 1999. The idea is that we will celebrate the turning of the century twice.
I can't remember exactly where we're going after the celebrations have finished in Barbados, but we will be jetting off to catch up with another time zone and celebrate all over again.
I won't be Flying during the change from 1999 to 2000.
The company? We are satisfied at this stage that everything we have done and will do for our customers in advance will not require us to put any special contingency plans in place.
Load of old hype? It's still a potential problem and I am sure there will be one or two glitches. However, I think the money and drive that organisations have given to solving the problem should ensure it is 99 per cent cracked.

Richard Thompson, chairman of EMS
I'll be In the Millennium Dome. My wife is managing the Sky events, so we've been invited to the party. In fact, I've already booked my taxi home, as I'm sure it's going to be busy.
I won't be On an Airbus or anywhere near a flight path.
The company? We won't need people working around the clock, but I expect the holidays over this period will see the public stepping up their shopping. So we will have staff working over the period, including New Year's Day.
Load of old hype? If you're using a PC, yes. But it's a different matter for other systems. Businesses should be worried about sprinklers going off or electrically controlled doors opening. But whatever happens, it will be short-lived. There will be no Armageddon.

James Wickes, managing director of Ideal Hardware
I'll be Under my kitchen table with a bag of lentils and some bottled water - not doing anything special or interesting. It's my 40th birthday that year and anyway, I don't get invited to parties.
The company We'll be available to deal with any difficulties on 2 January.
I won't be In the office on the eve of the millennium.
Load of old hype? You should always worry about uncertainty and the year 2000 definitely promises that. People should take it seriously.

Shane Gallagher, managing director of First Stop Computing
I'll be Taking over a country hotel somewhere like the New Forest with 20 to 30 friends. I can safely say computers will be the last thing on my mind.
I won't be Anywhere hi-tech or near any microchips.
The company? On 1 January, most of the technical staff at First Stop will be available on pagers and mobiles. But if we're only there on New Year's Day with a hose to put the fire out, we'll have got something wrong. Most of our customers should have got themselves prepared by then.
Load of old hype? I wouldn't dare say the millennium bug has been blown out of proportion. People have to take it seriously, make sure they have a contingency plan built in and get on with the business in hand. I don't think anyone should be pre-occupied with it over the next year.

Henry Lewis, chairman of Action Supplies
I'll be At a family celebration. We normally get together in a London hotel or all go abroad.
I won't be Anywhere special. If we go, we all go together.
The company? Increasingly, we feature products that are year 2000 compliant. But the big issue is the interface between those with electronic links that deal with data exchange, such as order processing. We're not planning to have staff in the office around the clock, but if customers request it, we'll consider it.
Load of old hype? It's the first time this problem has ever had to be dealt with, so we're all guessing. But I hope it will be under control by then.

Andy Travers, sales director at Teksys
I'll be At a party. I imagine most people will be turning off their mobile phones, so they can't get any calls demanding help.
I won't be In a lift.
The company? Teksys won't be on call. We do the infrastructure up to where the applications sit, but they are manufactured by other people.
Load of old hype? It needn't be too problematic if people address it properly. But there are many areas outside IT where a lot of people haven't recognised the potential pitfalls.

Sam Hadipour, director of consulting for EMEA at Software Spectrum
I'll be In the UK. I usually go to The Ritz and then on to a party.
I won't be On a plane.
The company? We have certain call centres that provide 24-hour coverage around the world, but not in Europe. On New Year's Eve, we will also have a call centre somewhere in Europe. Come midnight, we'll be ready to handle any emergencies.
Load of old hype? People are right to worry. The critical bits are the hidden parts of a system that can go wrong and cause the entire system to crash. The problem needs to be addressed yesterday rather than tomorrow.

Luke Ireland, director of Evesham Micros
I'll be At home, in the country with my family.
I won't be On a plane or in a lift.
The company? We'll have support staff working. But it isn't a big issue for us.
Load of old hype? Regarding home users, there is definitely a lot of unnecessary fear. But businesses are not treating the problem with the seriousness it deserves. Computers are the least of people's worries - in certain parts of the world, they don't have the budget to even investigate the year 2000 issue. Is there any guarantee that the world's missile control systems are compliant?

Tim Phillips, sales director at Alchemy
I'll be On a ski slope.
I won't be Anywhere near my home. I live 10 minutes from Heathrow airport, directly under the flight path. Even though a lot of airlines have been dismissive about flying over New Year, I will definitely not be in the region of my house.
The company? We've been very cautious about advising people on compliancy. There aren't many qualified people in the UK, but we've been trying to explain to customers that there is no guarantee. There will be staff in the office ready to take calls.
Load of old hype? There has been a lot of scaremongering, but the leading lights in the industry have some sobering opinions.

David Walton, managing director of Durham Systems Management
I'll be Sober. I don't know what I'll be doing but I suspect I may be working.
I won't be In a pub - there could be power cuts. And I wouldn't want to be in the middle of a group of drunk people if that happened.
The company? I haven't got a clue whether we'll be open or whether people will be in the office.
Load of old hype? We're at the point where some sensible changes are needed at the community level. A power cut in December could threaten lives. The problem has been over-hyped, but it is sensible to have a stock of food staples in the house. Take precautions - supermarkets have maybe only 36 hours of stock. Get a generator.

Paul Cook, sales director at Computer 2000
I'll be I wanted to be in one of my favourite restaurants but I've just found out that it's been booked for the past six months. I think the best thing to do is get a big marquee and fill it with people.
I won't be Abroad. The millennium doesn't happen very often, so I wouldn't want to be too far from London.
The company? For a start, we'll probably have to change our name. I think the busiest period for us will be the first two weeks of 2000. There'll probably be a lot of panic buying, with people replacing equipment and a lot of machines racing through the warehouse.
Load of old hype? People in business are right to be worried, but if they take reasonable steps they should have sufficient time.

Martin Mulligan, ex-managing director of Datrontech
I'll be Up in the Highlands, with only road-based transport.
I won't be Anywhere near a plane.
The company? Datrontech won't be taking on extra staff to cope over the New Year period. It should have worked the issue through by then, so there shouldn't be too many calls.
Load of old hype? No. People are right to be worried, especially about anything that requires a date.

David Petts, PC business director at Compaq
I'll be Probably staying in. I have three children and I suspect babysitters will be thin on the ground.
I won't be On a plane.
The company? I can't say what Compaq will be doing, but I don't anticipate it being a massive problem. The issue affects hardware vendors less than applications businesses.
Load of old hype? The customers who are leaving it until next year to fix the problem will run into a shortage of resources.

Simon Ognall, managing director of Bytes Technology Group
I'll be I've got nothing planned. I suppose I'll be eating Heinz tomato soup and dry toast because I'm anti-social.
I won't be Flying.
The company? We've got nothing planned at Bytes. Staff will be available, but we have already done a lot of work to prepare customers for the year 2000 issue.
Load of old hype? I'll reserve judgement on that.

Phil Williams, head of corporate marketing at Computacenter
I'll be I haven't thought that far ahead, but hopefully I'll be celebrating.
I won't be On a plane.
The company? Computacenter will have on-site support through its call centre, so people will be working in the office throughout the night. But I'm not sure whether we'll need to hire extra staff. We're going to evaluate it nearer the time.
Load of old hype? In a way, yes, but people are right to worry.

Peter Rigby, director of marketing and communications at CHS Electronics
I'll be Personally, I have lots of ideas. One is to be in Australia, possibly at some kind of corporate event, as far away from a computer as possible.
I won't be Working or in Trafalgar Square.
The company? We have resellers contacting us daily, telling us our computers have to comply. They do. Those who are prepared should be OK. But I'm sure we'll find a few smug consultants on 1 January telling people: 'I told you so.'
Load of old hype? There is a potential problem, but it has been hyped up too much. People are getting paranoid about it.

Amon Al-Och, managing director of Syntax Integration
I'll be Definitely out somewhere, but I haven't really thought that far ahead.
I won't be In a plane.
The company? No change for the eve of the millennium. The way I see it, all our customers are taking enough steps to protect themselves.
Load of old hype? It is serious, but most of our customers only have about 50 to 500 users, so the problem is more controllable. Larger companies with more employees and users will find it more complicated to comply.