Many of these computers are still in use, however, and some companies use very large old central computers which practically run their business. Experts say that the solution to what is obviously a simple problem is also simple. Programmers just need to give the computer instructions to change two digits to four. This is not, however, as simple as it sounds. The lines of code that need to be read and checked can be very complicated and take hours to read.
Some code is also in out-dated computer languages.
Time and cost could be enormous. American researchers have estimated that it could cost over 600 billion dollars to correct the problem all over the world. Some computer software manufacturers are being threatened with legal action by companies that claim they were sold faulty programs that will soon become obsolete. Companies have been advised to ask their Information Technology Managers to start investigating the extent of the problem and its possible effect on company business and, if necessary, to take action as soon as possible. Reading for meaning When you read an article, you can often guess the words you do not know from the context.