Year 2000 Readiness Disclosure.
OHIORAMP.COM / Ohio Statewide Systems
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1) The Significance of Y2K
2) The Nature of Y2K on the Internet
3) Y2K and the Internet Service Provider
4) Y2K Readiness Action Taken by the ISP
5) Summary
1) The Significance of Y2K
Y2K, at its most basic, is an abbreviation representing Year 2000. For years, many computers, software programs, documents, forms, and even people refer to the year only as a two digit year, typically assuming the first two digits identifying the century. In such a case, documents such as bank checks may have been preprinted with the digits 19 and the user completes the year by entering the last two years of the date. Some computers and many other types of electronic equipment rely upon accurate determination of date for some functions. Also, some hardware or software was also designed to assume that 19 is the first two digits of the year, thus, such items are not designed to accommodate Year 2000 and beyond.
But, Y2K has also been colloquially used to identify management issues, and other items not directly related to the Year 2000 rollover itself. Some database programs automatically assign 9/9/99 as the future date or last possible date in appointment calendars and the like. Other computers or software might correctly recognize the date on January 1, 2000, but might not correctly identify leap year dates after that date. Other products may fail at some indeterminate date after the Year 2000 rollover. While some of these other issues are not strictly part of or caused by the Year 2000 issue, they are often discussed as part of consumer education regarding good data management practices.
Thus, this Year 2000 Readiness Disclosure Statement seeks only to address issues directly related to the date rollover to January 1, 2000, and applies to no other issue.
2) The Nature of Y2K on the Internet
The Internet is a somewhat unregulated (and constantly changing) collection of computing resources which is maintained or controlled by many different individuals and organizations. Ensuring or warranting that an ISP will guarantee uninterrupted service to such resources at some future date is much the same as warranting that ISP functions will occur uninterrupted on ANY future date. That is to say, no vendor of services can unequivocally predict future events, or the actions of other parties, be it on January 1, 2000, or any other date.
It is worth noting that every day, all over the world, service interruptions, connectivity failures, server crashes, power failures, and other events already occur on the world wide Internet. Such phenomenon are typically of brief duration and local in scope. Sometimes, such phenomenon occur due to an act of nature, or some other occurrence which may be completely unrelated to Year 2000 Readiness issues. Given the common nature and external source of such occurrences, outages, and disruptions, the ISP cannot warranty that such disruptions will not occur on some future date.
3) Y2K and the Internet Service Provider
It is important to understand that the Internet is a rapidly developing industry, and many of the component parts of that industry involve the use of products or services from other industries. This brief list is not all inclusive, but should help provide an understanding of the myriad of issues facing those who would request a guarantee of Internet Service on or after the Year 2000 Rollover:
A) An Internet Service Provider (ISP) provides connectivity service to the myriad of other computing resources commonly referred to as the Internet. Since those remote computing resources are not owned, maintained, controlled, or operated by the ISP, the ISP can make no warranty regarding the distant resources of the Internet. Thus, the ISP makes no warranty that Internet sites or resources -- individually or collectively -- are available or will be available at any future time or date, including Year 2000. Concerned parties should educate themselves about the Year 2000 Readiness of sites and servers they commonly use, by inquiring directly to the owner of the site.
B) An ISP often relies upon external vendor companies for connection to the Internet itself. Since those connections are provided and maintained by companies external to the ISP, the ISP makes no warranty that such services are compliant. Concerned parties may educate themselves about the Year 2000 Readiness of those companies, by inquiring directly to the owner of those companies.
C) An ISP often relies upon ILEC, CLEC, and IXC telecommunications carriers (phone companies) to maintain connection between itself and various parts of the Internet. Since those connections are provided and maintained by companies external to the ISP, the ISP makes no warranty that such services are compliant. Concerned parties may educate themselves about the Year 2000 Readiness of those companies by inquiring directly to those companies.
D) An ISP often relies upon similar carrier services to provide local customers with access to the ISP’s servers, via dialup, ISDN, dedicated lines, or other methods. Since those services are provided and maintained by companies external to the ISP, the ISP makes no warranty that such services are compliant. Concerned parties may educate themselves about the Year 2000 Readiness of those companies, by inquiring directly to the owner of those companies.
E) An ISP (and indeed, almost any Internet site) is typically dependent upon electrical power to operate computers needed for ISP operations. Since electricity is generated, transported, and supplied by companies external to the ISP, the ISP makes no warranty that such services are compliant. Concerned parties may educate themselves about the Year 2000 Readiness of the power grid, by inquiring directly to the companies which own, manage, or maintain such facilities.
F) An ISP uses connectivity hardware in supplying service to its customers. Since those hardware items are designed, constructed, installed, or provided by companies external to the ISP, the ISP makes no warranty that such services are compliant. Concerned parties may educate themselves about the Year 2000 Readiness of those components, by inquiring directly to the hardware manufacturer.
G) The ISP’s connectivity hardware uses software, which again raises Year 2000 issues. Since that software is created by companies external to the ISP, the ISP makes no warranty that such services are compliant. In some cases, the software in question is merely licensed to the end user. Thus, the terms of any such license may apply, and such software cannot be changed or fixed by the ISP, even for Year 2000 compliance issues. Concerned parties may educate themselves about the Year 2000 Readiness of those components, by inquiring directly to the manufacturer.
H) Customers who connect to the ISP also generally require hardware, software, phone lines, electrical power, and other services not provided by the ISP. Since those items are provided or maintained by companies external to the ISP, the ISP makes no warranty regarding the compliance, availability, readiness, fitness for use, or reliability of those items. Concerned parties may educate themselves about the Year 2000 Readiness of those components by inquiring directly to the provider or manufacturer.
I) External merchant systems may be used by the ISP (such as bank credit card merchant account servers and software, etc). Since those items are provided or maintained by companies external to the ISP, the ISP makes no warranty that such items are compliant. Concerned parties may educate themselves about the Year 2000 Readiness of similar systems by inquiring directly to the bank, or other provider, of such merchant services.
J) Root name servers, the collection of resources that allows translation of familiar names (www.name.com) into valid IP addresses (192.101.101.101) is considered by many to be the most important component of the World Wide Web, but it is not under the control of the ISP. Since those services are provided or maintained by companies external to the ISP, the ISP makes no warranty that such items are compliant. Concerned parties may educate themselves about the Year 2000 Readiness of those services by inquiring directly to their domain name registrar.
This abbreviated list serves only to demonstrate examples that the ISP cannot warranty any service or product which is actually designed by others, or is owned or managed by a source external to the ISP.
4) Y2K Readiness Action Taken by the ISP
A) The ISP has completed a preliminary survey of all hardware, software, and services currently provided to or used by the ISP.
B) For each vendor, manufacturer, or provider of services, the ISP has maintained communication on Year 2000 Readiness issues. Such communication occasionally includes instructions, upgrades, or patches which must be applied to provide -- in that vendor’s view -- the best preparedness for Year 2000 rollover.
C) The ISP has instituted a policy which indicates the highest priority exists for purchases of equipment, software, or materials which can be certified by their provider as Y2K Compliant.
D) As the ISP’s vendors, manufacturers, and providers continue to test and examine their products for compliance, the ISP regularly communicates with such vendors, and takes action based upon the recommendations of appropriate vendor representatives conversant in Y2K issues.
E) The ISP has made arrangements for temporary power to be supplied to all critical ISP equipment which is on site and present at the ISP POP (point-of presence) facility, or at the ISP business office in the case of power failure. (Actually, this has been the case since the ISP began operations. But, arrangements for temporary power do not include arrangements to power any customer premise equipment at the customer site, nor to provide power to Internet sites other than those operated or maintained on the ISP’s own servers, nor to provide power to interconnection systems which may be required to obtain Internet access, nor to the root name servers which may be required to function to provide Web services, as all of those functions are conducted off site by entities external to the ISP.)
F) The ISP continues to encourage consumers to become educated as to the myriad of issues involving Year 2000 Readiness, and to develop good data preservation techniques as may be necessary.
5) Summary
Obviously, Y2K Readiness involves issues which may be far outside the scope of any one vendor. Especially as related to ISP’s, the myriad, scattered nature of the world wide Internet is not within the purview of the individual ISP to guarantee. Contractual warranties specific to Y2K issues are not appropriate given the true nature of Y2K issues, and the simple fact that a single provider of technology services in an interdependent, networked environment such as the Internet cannot unilaterally solve all issues related to Year 2000 Readiness.
This disclosure, and any information disseminated or inferred by the ISP, or its employees or agents, does not constitute any warranty or extension thereof regarding the ISP’s services, Internet Services, Year 2000 preparedness, and the like. The ISP provides this information in accordance with our belief that customers should be educated about the issues involving Year 2000 Readiness, and should evaluate their own equipment, software, and practices regarding sensitive data.
The ISP believes that adequate preparedness for Year 2000 is similar to adequate preparedness for any other potentially disruptive event. Each user should become educated about the myriad issues involved. Each user must decide how best to prepare for potentially disruptive events, including but not limited to: obtain adequate backups (of both data and power), have a contingency and recovery plan, evaluate the placement of redundant or upgraded equipment and services, develop and engage in good, secure data management practices. Such procedures are in the best interest of any person or business who must rely on any form electronic data processing and storage.
Please note that this disclosure is subject to change or updating.
You may direct additional questions to us at info@ohioramp.com.
Or, you may submit them in writing via U.S. Mail to the following address:
OHIORAMP.COM
Ohio Statewide Systems
7017 Pearl Road
Cleveland, Ohio 44130