This may seem like a minor issue, but there is widespread concern in many segments of society that Y2K may have very severe consequences for our computer-dependent world. The bug could cause simultaneous failures in nine different types of safety systems, including fire alarms, atmospheric monitoring, and security systems, resulting in radiation leaks. According to the agency, there may be other problems still undetected. Most of the rest are under renovation. The Pentagon plans to share data from its early-warning satellites with other countries so that they will know whether they are under attack during crisis situations.
Many electric plants use date-sensitive software to monitor and control the flow of power.
An informal survey by a Senate panel found that ten of the nation's largest utilities had no contingency plan in place in the event that their computers failed. Many industries use embedded computer chips in equipment such as telephone switches, air traffic control systems, burglar alarms and emergency medical devices. By the year 2000, there will be an estimated 2.5 billion embedded chips in place, and, of these, only two-tenths of one percent will be affected by the Y2K bug. That may sound insignificant, but it means that means 50 million non-compliant chips may need replacement, an impossible task to accomplish before December 31, 1999. Two out of three large companies have not yet resolved their Y2K problem, and small businesses lag even further behind.